The Legend of Princess Andromeda of Aethopia
by IDoItForLovin
Summary: Princess Andromeda was the daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia and lived a plush life in her kingdom of Aethopia. Her mother and father arrange a marriage for her and it breaks the young princess' heart because after all these years, she still thinks the dark prince from her childhood will save her. And he does, but at a price. The myth of Andromeda, retold.
1. Little Princess Andromeda

(A/N: This is my version of the classic mythology story of Andromeda. Let me know if this story interest you or if I should just scrap the idea.)

Little Princess Andromeda looked out excitedly over her kingdom as she was carried through the plains by her family's servants. Her brunette hair was braided, sitting atop her head in a bun with her crown placed in front of it. The princess had on an elegant white gown with gold trimmings, white sandals on her little feet.

She plucked a grape from a bowl and plopped it in her mouth, savoring the sweet taste of the fruit. Her handlers, Ares and Cosima, trailed after her at a leisurely place, talking amongst themselves.

It was noon, the perfect time for a stroll. The sun was shining brightly over Aethiopia, and as always the air was toasty. The fresh smell of grass wafted in the air and Andromeda took a long whiff, sighing in content.

"Let me down!" Her little voice demanded suddenly, "I would like to walk."

"Princess Andromeda, you know your father says you may not-" Ares started but the little bronze girl puffed.

"Ares! I want to walk!" Andromeda exclaimed, "Let me down this instant!"

The servants quickly obeyed the young princess and lowered the chariot, allowing the eight year old to step down.

Ares quickly hurried to the princess, his brown eyes staring hardly into her fiery ambers. "You musn't Princess, your father would have my head if I let you-"

"Oh Ares," Cosima's voice chimed as the albino woman walked up to them, "She will be fine, let her walk."

"Yes Ares," Andromeda mocked, as she touched the high grass. "Let me walk!" Her gold bangles clanged together as she broke into a run. The small princess laughed with glee as she trotted through the grass, picking flowers and putting them in her braid. She picked up her dress in her small bronze hands and ran once more before spinning around in circles.

"My kingdom is so pretty," She sang, "All for me, me, me! Princess Andy~"

"Andromeda!" Ares called, "Do not run too far!"

Andromeda chubby face stretched in a grin. "I cannot hear you Ares! Did you say run?" She yelled in reply then took off once again. The little girl cackled teasingly, distancing herself from the group. She didn't stop until she reached a flower bed, where tall sunflowers grew almost as tall as her. Giggling she walked through the stalks, the only thing visible from outside the field was the top of her gold-beaded braided bun.

"They won't find me here!" The bronze girl laughed in delight, as she neared the end of the flower bed. Pushing the stems aside, she gasped as she saw an animal lying on the ground unmoving.

The fearless eight year old ran up to the animal, just to see it wasn't an animal at all. But a man with the palest skin she had ever seen.

The man was dressed in green and black robes with gold trimming, similar to the trim on Andromeda's gown, and black boots. He had inky black long hair, which was a texture that Andromeda had only seen on the visiting Greeks.

He must have been a Greek! But he had such strange clothing…

Andromeda fell to her knees beside the man, her tiny fingers tracing his features. She traced his eyebrows, his nose and his thin lips. He looked odd to her, she had never seen a person that looked like him and it intrigued her.

Suddenly, a pale hand reached out and grabbed hers, making her yelp. Green eyes stared at her in curiosity.

"Where am I?" The man's voice, a deep melodic thing, asked the princess.

"You are in Aethiopia." Her little voice answered him, "And I am Princess Andromeda, daughter of King Cephus and Queen Cassiopeia." She listed, remembering her lessons. "What is your name, sir?"

The stranger let go of her hand and slightly sat up, now taller than the princess. "I am Prince Loki, of Asgard."

Andromeda furrowed her brows. She had never heard of this 'Asgard' before. "Where is that?" The little girl asked.

Prince Loki stared at the girl in amusement. He pointed to the heavens, "It's in the sky." He simply answered, a smirk on his face when the girl looked up.

"The sky?" Andromeda gasped, her bronze hands over her mouth. "With the gods?"

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Yes."

Andromeda gasped again, looking at the man with stars in her eyes. "You are a god? Do you know Zeus?"

"Zeus?" He inquired, before quickly deducing that he was on Midgard. "Yes." The pale man lied slyly, grinning.

Andromeda squealed in delight. "That's amazing!"

Loki chuckled at the child, before wincing and holding his stomach. "Princess… Andromeda, was it?" The child nodded eagerly. "Is your palace far from here?"

"No." She shook her head, the beads in her bun ringing. "It is just beyond the plain."

"Will you take me there Princess?"

Andromeda grinned and nodded, getting off her knees. She wiped the dirt of her white dress and went back through the flower patch.

"Ares!" She called out, "Cosima!"

"Princess?" Ares ran through the field and found the little girl, kneeling down before her. "Where have you been!"

Cosima found them shortly after and knelt down with Ares. "Princess Andromeda! You've ruined your gown!"

"Cosima there is a man on the other side of the flower patch!" Andromeda exclaimed and Cosima furrowed her brows.

"That is not funny Princess!"

"I'm serious! Ares please look!" The princess said, before taking off running.

Ares and Cosima ran after her, calling her name but Andromeda didn't stop until she was in front of Loki again.

Ares gasped once he saw the man lying on the ground. He knelt down next to Loki and felt his pulse. "Servants!" He called, and they came scurrying out the field. "Help this man to the palace."

Andromeda smugly smiled as Cosima attempted to straighten her dress. "I told you I wasn't lying!"

"Oh hush!" Cosima chided, yanking a braid from the princess' head.

The servants carried Loki all the way back to the palace, while Andromeda happily walked beside them. When they arrived at the palace, Loki was carried away from the princess' view and she pouted, sad to lose her new friend.

"Andromeda!" Her mother's voice called. The queen seemed to float toward her daughter, her beautiful white gown flowing after her. She was adorned in gold jewelry and her long curly hair was braided to the side. Her gold crown sat high on her head as she approached her daughter with a grin. "My beautiful daughter, how was your stroll?"

Andromeda wrapped her short arms around her mother, beaming up at her. "It was wonderful Mommy, I even met a friend!"

"Oh my!" Queen Cassiopeia exclaimed, not really listening. She cupped her hands around her daughter's cheeks. "How beautiful you are my child, with skin smooth as marble." She cooed and Andromeda giggled. "Eyes as bright as fire, how beautiful my child is!"

Ares walked up to the two royals then. The tall man bowed his head, "My apologies my Queen. Your presence is requested by the King in the healing room."

Not looking away from her daughter's face, the queen nodded in acknowledgment. With one last doting glance, Queen Cassiopeia followed after Ares.

"Come on little Princess." Cosmia grabbed Andromeda's bronze hand in hers. "We must get you ready for your lessons."

Andromeda pouted at her handler, "But I do not want to go to my lessons!"

Cosmia giggled, leading the child to her room. "You have had enough excitement for the day my little Princess."

Cosmia opened the door and urged Andromeda in, closing the door behind them. "Maids!" She called and two women stood side by side. "Change the princess into a new dress and fix her hair."

"Right away Miss." The women bowed and took little Andromeda by her hand. They changed her into a new beige gown, a gold belt around her waist. They took her bun down and combed through her curls, making the young girl pout.

"That hurts!" Andromeda exclaimed, her head being yanked back by the maid.

"Sorry Princess." The maid muttered, taking care not to pull the young girl's hair. She finished up and braided it down her back before wrapping the braid around her head.

"Alright, Princess." Cosmia clapped her hands, "Time for your lessons!"

Andromeda groaned and pouted, but followed Cosmia out her room.

Much to Andromeda's disappointment, she did not see her new friend for the rest of the day. Not even at dinner where they had her favorite meal of goat and rice. She pouted through dinner, to which her mother chided at her, 'You'll get frown lines, my dear, do not pout.'

When the princess was put to bed, she waited until she didn't hear anyone in the hall before getting out her bed. She slipped on her slippers and wrapped her small robe around her and tip-toed out of her room.

She took extra care not to make noise as she made her way to the healing room in the palace. Once she reached her destination, she walked in the room, looking around for her new friend.

Andromeda spotted him and she smiled brightly running up to his bedside. "Prince Loki," She whispered, and his green eyes shot open.

The prince looked at her boredly. "Princess Andromeda."

"Do you feel better Prince Loki?" The girl with the big amber eyes asked, before sitting on the bed next to him.

"Ow!" The prince exclaimed and Andromeda shot up in worry. Loki laughed at the little girl and shook his head. "I am fine, little princess."

Andromeda pouted and sat down once more. "That is not kind of you to do, Prince Loki."

"Can't take a joke, little princess?" The green eyed man quipped, now sitting up.

"I can too, take a joke!" The eight year old glared, fire in her eyes. "You are just not funny." She crossed her arms. "You are odd, and you look like a statue." The little girl said, matter-a-factly.

Loki raised his eyebrows at the child, before turning his head away from her in faux sadness. "Princess Andromeda you scar me." He put his hand over his heart, "And here I thought we were friends."

Andromeda uncrossed her arms as she looked at Loki sympathetically. The little girl leaned over him, "I am sorry Prince Loki, I did not mean to hurt your feelings." She insisted, but Loki kept his head turned away from her. "You are not odd and you are very handsome."

Prince Loki turned to her with a smirk then, ruffling the her curls. "I accept your apology little princess."

Andromeda beamed at him. "We are friends?" She asked and Loki nodded before taking her hands in his.

"Do you want to see a magic trick?" Loki smirked at her, a glint in his green eyes. Andromeda nodded eagerly and Loki cupped his hands under hers. Whispering a quick enchantment, green fire sprang from their hands.

Andromeda gasped, grinning excitedly. "Wow…" She whispered, staring at the fire.

Loki smiled and took his hands away from hers, the fire still blazing from her little hands.

"Prince Loki! Look! I'm doing it!" The child exclaimed, holding the fire close to her face to examine it.

Loki chuckled, "I see, little princess. Watch this." He put his hands over hers and the fire turned into a green dove, twirling around the princess' head before disappearing.

Andromeda turned back to Loki with a grin, practically bouncing with excitement. "Are you a witch?"

Loki let out a boisterous laugh and shook his head. "No I am not."

"Princess Andromeda?" Ares voice rang through the room and the little girl's amber eyes widened. The handler walked into the room to see the princess at Loki's bedside. "You are supposed to be asleep, princess!"

Andromeda pouted and slid off the bed, walking over to Ares with her head down in shame. "I am sorry Ares, please do not tell momma!"

Ares stared at the young girl pointedly. "I will think about it. Now go to bed."

Andromeda nodded, sniffling. She turned back to her new friend, "Good night Prince Loki."

"Good night little princess." Loki smiled at her, before motioning to his pocket.

The little girl reached into her robe and found a small doll. Grinning at the prince, she proceeded to skip the rest of the way to her room, where she fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	2. Goodbye

Prince Loki decided to stay in Aethiopia for a Midgard week, wanting to spare himself the wrath of his father once he returned home. He spent most of his time in the palace library, reading their literature, but sometimes he would walk outside the palace gates, wanting to experience the Aethiopians culture. No matter what he seemed to do, little Andromeda was always behind him, following after the prince like a lost pup.

"Prince Loki," She would call him, looking up at him with her big amber eyes. Then she would ask him a question, each as mundane as the last. "What's Asgard like?" "Do you have siblings?" "How old are you?" and his personal favorite, "Why is your skin so pale?"

If it were any other child, it would annoy him to no end, but with little Andromeda, he found it entertaining to toy with her, her reactions were so hilarious to him. He would show her magic tricks, then pretend that she was the one controlling the magic instead of him. She would beam up at him, like he was the best thing in her world. It was a nice change for the prince, considering that Thor was always the favorite back home.

"Prince Loki," Her little voice called out from the doorway of the library, pulling Loki out of his thoughts.

"Yes my little princess?" He answered her as she tried to sit on the desk in front of him. He grabbed her under her arms and lifted her up, sitting her on the desk.

"Thank you." Andromeda acknowledged. "Momma says she is throwing you a farewell feast tonight. Why did you not tell me you were leaving?" The little girl's lip trembled.

Loki closed his book and sighed. "I am sorry little princess, but I must go home."

"Home?" She whispered, playing with her dress skirt, "But I want you to say with me."

"Oh little girl," He cooed, pinching her cheek. "I have to go home, I have a kingdom to run."

"But, won't you miss me?" Andromeda asked, pouting up at him, her sapling eyes shining.

Loki nodded, "Of course I will, my little Andromeda. But we will meet again."

Andromeda sniffled. "How do you know?"

The prince grinned and waved his fingers at her, green matter dancing around them. "Magic." He jested slyly and the child's mouth twitched. "Smile for me little girl." He playfully growled and Andromeda grinned.

"You know what would make me feel better," The bronze princess whispered, and the prince leaned in to hear her, "A sweet." She finished, smirking the best she could at her friend.

Loki shook his head, "I don't have any."

Andromeda pouted, "Please Prince Loki?"

"I don't know why you're asking me for a sweet," Loki smirked, before reaching in her tiara, "When you have one right here." He took out a jewel from her crown and waved it around, turning it into an Asgardian candy.

Andromeda squealed and grabbed it from his hands, popping it in her mouth. "Thank you Prince Loki!"

Loki smiled at her as Cosmia walked into the library.

"Princess Andromeda! I have to get you ready for the banquet!" The albino woman said, and the little girl hopped off the desk, trotting towards Cosmia. The pale woman looked at Loki warily before bowing her head in respect. She hurried little Andromeda out the library and to her room, where the princess was dressed in an extravagant gown. Her hair was braided into two braids on either side of her head. The princess had a special crown to wear tonight, adorned with white diamonds and gold, and special gold wrist cuffs.

Cosmia led her to the Grand Hall to her parents, as they were announced to the guest.

"Their royal highness, King Cepheus, Queen Cassiopeia, and their daughter Princess Andromeda." Applause sounded from the hall as they took their seats on their thrones. Her father in the middle, her mother on the left of him and her on the right.

"We have gathered here to say farewell to an honorable guest." King Cepheus' voice boomed over the hall, he continued his speech, rising out of his seat to speak directly to Prince Loki.

Little Andromeda zoned out, feeling down about her friend leaving her so soon. The princess bit her lip, to keep it from pouting like she desperately wanted to. She was brought out of her thoughts by her mother leading her to her seat at the Grand table.

Her father sat at the head of the table with her mother to the left and Andromeda sat at the right of her father. Prince Loki sat next to her as they feasted, the royal court's merriment echoing through the Hall.

Andromeda just stared at her food, twilding her braids in between her fingers.

"Are you not hungry, little girl?" Loki asked her, before taking a sip from his chalice.

Andromeda shook her head in response. "I do not feel like eating."

"Princess," Loki sighed, "I thought we had overcome this, I must go."

"I know Prince Loki, but that does not mean I can't be sad." Little Andromeda pouted once more.

The princess sat at the feast the whole night pouting. She did not eat her lamb, she did not drink her juice. She didn't even partake in the cocoa bean dessert her mother and father had imported just for the her. The tiny girl was filled with sadness, for her only friend was leaving her.

After the feast, it was finally time for Loki to return home. The King, Queen, Andromeda, and a few guards walked with him to the middle of plain, where Heimdall would send him home.

The sky was a vibrant midnight blue, the stars shining down on the group and Andromeda looked up at it in wonder as Cosima held her hand.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Loki nodded to the King and Queen.

King Cepheus laughed and held up his hand. "It was no trouble."

"Be that as it may, I am indebted to your family." Loki said, putting a fist over his chest.

He looked to the little princess who was pouting behind her handler. The black-haired prince walked over to the little princess. He knelt down in front of her and pinched her cheek. "Do not be sad, little princess. We will met again." He promised.

Andromeda sniffed, her amber eyes shining. "How do you know?" She asked, her lip trembling.

Loki took her little hand in his and balled it in a fist. "Magic." He whispered to her, opening her hand to reveal an emerald pendant on a silver chain. The Asgardian Prince fastened the necklace on the little girl's neck.

Princess Andromeda threw her arms around the Prince's neck, who in turn wrapped his arms around her. "I'll miss you." The young girl whispered when she pulled back.

"I'll see you soon my little princess." Loki smiled at her, pinching her cheek. He stood up fully and walked to the middle of the field. "Heimdall." He ordered and a bright light shined from the heavens and struck the field. When the light disappeared, Loki was gone, only a curious marking burnt in the grass in his place.

"Goodbye." Princess Andromeda whispered to no one, playing with her pendant.


	3. Engagement Banquet

The sunlight streamed in through the palace windows, illuminating the royal bedroom of the teenaged Princess of Aethiopia.

The princess was now eighteen, and what a beauty she was. Her hair was long and curly, reaching the mid of her back. Her brows were dark and strong, leading into a sharp nose and her lips were full and plump, like two flower petals. Her body and face had shed its childhood fat, her face now striking with high cheekbones and a round chin, and her body with all the curves of a woman. Though the most striking thing about the princess were her eyes. They burned with the passion embers in a fire, while still being as soft as sapling from a tree. Andromeda's eyes could either stop a war, or start one.

Said princess was sitting at her vanity in her nightgown, running a animal bone comb through her long curls and humming a tune. An emerald necklace was around her neck, which in childhood, dangled from her neck to her bosom, but now that she was older, it was wrapped around her neck like a choker.

It had been a decade since she had stumbled on a dark-haired prince who showed her things she had never seen, and not a day went by when she did not think about him. The princess was convinced her prince would come back for her, so much so that she had convinced her mother to postpone her marriage to her betrothed, her Uncle Phineus, for two years, in hopes that Prince Loki would come back for her. But he never did.

Cosima opened the door to the princess bedroom, charging in with maids following after her. "Time to get ready for the banquet, Princess." The albino woman ordered, "Your mother and father are going to announce your wedding date today."

Andromeda huffed, her sapling eyes rolling. "That's today…?" She uttered, knowing full well it was. The maids forced the princess out of her seat and undressed her, laying a new gown on her bed.

"You know it is, Princess Andromeda!" Cosima said, before adding with a smile, "You should be happy! You are getting married!"

"To my uncle." The bronze princess sneered to herself, as the maids put the gown on her. She looked at the dress in the mirror, it was beige with a gold trim. It covered both of her shoulders in a sheer material, only beginning a solid pattern when it got to her chest. The gown flowed to her feet, following after her as she walked. It was beautiful but Andromeda did not care to be beautiful today.

"He is a powerful man." Cosima reminded the younger woman.

'He is my uncle!' Andromeda screamed in her head as the maid sat her down at her vanity to do her hair, while another maid brushed on metallic makeup to her cheekbones. Andromeda stared at herself boredly as her lips got painted pink with berries, she was not happy. "Can't mother and father post-"

"No!" Cosima interjected, clicking her tongue, "They have waited two years for you Princess Andromeda, they will not change the date again!"

"But…" The princess trailed off, flinching as a maid yanked her hair a little too tight.

"But what, Princess?" Cosima asked, before shaking her head. "You're not still thinking about that Prince…"

"His name is Prince Loki." The bronze beauty snapped, her beautiful features screwing into a scowl.

"He," Cosima stressed, "Is not important and is not your betrothed."

Princess Andromeda knew this, of course, but hearing it said aloud felt like a dagger in her heart. She shut her eyes tightly, so tightly that her brows furrowed with the action, and took deep breaths. "I know that." She muttered through clenched teeth. "But I love him."

Cosima clicked her tongue and let out a laugh. "You knew him for a week when you were a child!" She recounts before adding, "That hardly counts as love."

"It counts to me." Andromeda whispered, biting her bottom lip. She opened her eyes to see that her hair was finished. Her brunette hair was braided around her head like a crown with gold ribbon woven into the braid , with curls left out around her face and the nape of her neck. "Thank you." She nodded to the maids.

Cosima clapped her hands with a smile and put her hands on Andromeda's shoulder's looking at her in the mirror with a smile. "You look beautiful, now smile. At least you're marrying within your class."

With that Cosima helped Andromeda up from her vanity and helped the young princess slip on her shoes, golden flats. Once the princess' shoes were on, Cosima led her out into the hallway where her father was waiting for her.

"You look wonderful, daughter." King Cepheus smiled at his daughter, offering his arm to her.

Andromeda faked a smile for her father and took his arm, letting him lead her to the Grand ballroom. In front of the golden doors, Phineus was waiting for them with a smile on his face.

"Brother." Her father nodded to her betrothed before handing Andromeda off to him.

"Princess." Phineus nodded to the young girl and she nodded back out of respect.

The golden doors opened for them and they were announced. "Prince Phineus and Princess Andromeda of Aethiopia."

The two of them walked in arm and arm before sitting at their seats at the head table in the ballroom. Andromeda's parents were announced and they walked in, waving to the royal court and their subjects then sitting in their seats.

"People of Aethiopia!" King Cepheus roared, his voice bellowing through the room. "We are here to announce the wedding date of my brother, Prince Phineus and my daughter, Princess Andromeda." The hall came to life with applause and roars, though the royal court politely clapped. "I hereby decree that the wedding will be a month from today!"

Andromeda's face dropped as applause sounded through the hall once again. 'A month?' She thought to herself desperately. Before anyone could see her face, she quickly fixed it, smiling at her uncle.

King Cepheus smiled, sitting on his throne. "Now," He bellowed, "Remarks?" The royal court took turns coming up to the King and Queen giving their blessings to the young princess.

But Andromeda was not listening, all she heard was the buzzing of a bee in her ear. She was getting married to her uncle in a month. All of her childhood dreams of marrying Prince Loki dashed away with the word of her father.

"Now," King Cepheus' voice rang out, "Let the festivities begin!"

Music began to play and servants walked around with trays of food in their hands. People began to dance and celebrate the royal engagement, chatter filling the room.

"Princess Andromeda!" The feminine voice of Andromeda's best friend called out to her. The princess snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at her friend, excusing herself from her 'finance'.

"Lady Iola." Andromeda smiled at the dark girl, she wrapped her arms around her friend. "How have you been?"

"Wonderful! Congratulations on your engagement." Lady Iola teased, a smirk on her face.

The princess rolled her eyes, nudging the girl with her elbow. "That is not funny, Iola."

Iola laughed and waved the princess off. "Oh be joyous, Andromeda." The girl tried to comfort her friend. The two of them walked over to a bench and sat down, Iola taking Andromeda's hands in hers. "You're getting married and you get to keep your kingdom! Most princesses are not so lucky!" Andromeda nodded, her eyes downcast. Iola sighed, "Are you still thinking about that Athenian prince?"

"He was Asgardian, Iola." Andromeda corrected her. Her eyes were sad as she look at her friend, she sighed and shook her head. "It's foolish, stupid of me to have thought…"

"What?" Iola urged her to continue.

"He would save me." The princess whispered, tears growing in her eyes.

Iola embraced her friend, rubbing her back. "Oh Andromeda. Everything will be fine."

"I wanted to marry for love, Iola. How ignorant of me to think…" Andromeda pulled away from her friend and wiped her eyes. She shook her head and smiled, "I am being a selfish, do not mind me, Iola. Tell me more about your betrothed, Nikola."

Iola sighed happily, "Oh he is wonderful. He has the darkest eyes I've ever seen, and a smile as bright as the sun's glow! He is very kind to me."

"Oh Iola, I am so happy for you." Andromeda smiled softly as she studied her friend's facial expression. Iola's face was a lit with the look of love, and what a pretty sight it was to see. "When is your wedding day?"

"In two weeks." Iola breathed, dreamily. "You will attend, won't you?"

Andromeda nodded with a grin. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Iola." The two friends hugged and giggled before being interrupted by someone clearing their throat. They pulled away from each other and Andromeda saw it was Phineus.

"Would you care to dance with me Princess?" He asked, and Andromeda resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Of course." She nodded, before turning to Iola. "Excuse me, Lady Iola."

Iola looked at her friend sadly as she was led to the middle of the hall by Phineus. The dark girl felt awful for her friend, but she did not know a way to comfort her. Iola had tried not to rave about Nikola too much in front of Andromeda, not wanting the princess to feel bad about her situation but she could not help it; she was happy.

Andromeda placed her arm's around Phineus neck as he placed his arms around her waist. The two swayed from side to side, not speaking and onlookers cooed at the couple. After the dance was over, Queen Cassiopeia called for the attention of the room.

"My beautiful Andromeda." Her mother fondly smiled at her. "From her birth I knew she would be something special, and what a joy to find out I was right. What a stunning woman she turned into." Queen Cassiopeia paused for a moment, "She was a very handsome child, too. Prettier than all the other children. In fact..." Andromeda's face burned with embarrassment at her mother's words, always about her looks, never about how wise she was, or her skills. Only her beauty mattered to her mother. Andromeda blocked out her mother words until she heard the last sentence her mother spoke: "My Andromeda is prettier than the Nereids in the sea! Prettier than Nereus daughters themselves!" The queen boasted.

Chatter and gasps sounded through the hall, and Andromeda's jaw dropped. Her mother had insulted a god, the worst offence imaginable. Her mother had finally gone too far.

"Order! Order I say!" King Cepheus tried to calm down the crowd but they weren't having it, instead flinging insults to the queen. "Guards! Get them out of here!" The king finally ordered, and the guards obeyed, clearing out the hall.

"Come on Princess." Cosima came to collect Andromeda, pulling her away from the table. "Let's leave them for now."

The bronze beauty walked with the pale woman back to her room, locking the door behind them.

"What is going to happen now?" Andromeda asked Cosima, sitting on her bed, "Why must I be in my room?"

Cosima sighed and sat beside the girl. "Your mother insulted the gods, the citizens might revolt."

Andromeda shook her head, "My mother has gone too far with her bragging." She angrily fisted the comforter on her bed, "She might have put the kingdom in danger with her big head!"

"Calm down Princess," Cosima patted the young girls back, "I'm sure it's nothing. She will just have to-"

Thunder boomed from outside, interrupting the albino woman's speech. "Oh my." She muttered, looking out the window. It was storming, though no lighting lit the sky; only the sound of thunder clapping.

Cosima fixed her worried expression with a smile when she turned towards Andromeda. The older woman locked the windows and pulled the curtains then lit candles around the room. "It'll be fine." She repeated, smiling at a worried Andromeda.

A loud knocking sounded on the door and Cosima rushed to answer it. Ares was at the door. "Your presence is requested in the Grand hall, Cosima." The albino woman nodded, "I'll be right back, Princess." She promised before slipping out the room and closing the door behind her.

Andromeda got up from her bed and pulled the curtain back to look out the window. Rain was pouring down hard outside the window and the constant thunder frightened her. She pulled the curtain back over the window and laid down on her bed. Her hair was still tightly woven on her head and she still had on the same gown from the ceremony. The princess undid the braid from her hair and used the ribbon to put her hair in a low ponytail.

The bronze princess played with her the pendant of her necklace, like she always did when she was in deep thought. What would happen because of her mother's insolence? She had always known her mother to be daft and vain but she thought her mother would at least know better than to disrespect a god!

Princess Andromeda chewed on her bottom lip as she worried long into the night, before she drifted off to sleep, her pendant still in between her fingers.

Everything was sure to be alright in the morning.


	4. Punishment

Early the next morning, before the sun had even rose over Aethiopia, Andromeda was shaken awake by her mother.

"Mother?" The princess squinted, "What are you doing?" She looked over her mother's shoulder to see the brown eyes of Cosima staring back at her.

"I will explain in a minute, child." Her mother urged her out of bed, "But for now put your shoes on! Cosima grab her a cloak! Hurry!"

Cosima obeyed going into Andromeda's closet and the young girl put on a pair of flats. "Mother you're scaring me." She whispered and the Queen shook her head.

"It is all my fault." Queen Cassiopeia remarked sadly as Cosima draped the cloak over Andromeda, pulling the hood of the black cloak on her head. Queen Cassiopeia put her hood on and Cosima followed the action.

"We must leave, now." Cosima informed the two of them, opening the door to the bedroom. "I know a passageway." The three woman hurriedly walked through the castle, a million question running through the youngest woman's head.

"Hey!" Ares voice called out to them and Andromeda jumped. "This way, my Queen." The dark man lead them down a stairway and through a door out of the back castle.

The rain poured on the three of them hard, soaking through their cloaks as they walked in the forest behind the castle. Andromeda had not been in these woods before, her mother and father always forbid her from going in them. The three woman walked through the trees until they were in the middle of the forest.

Queen Cassiopeia turned to her daughter with a frown. "I am sorry, my child. Please do not be mad at me."

Andromeda furrowed her brows, "What's going on Mother?"

The queen swallowed thickly before putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "I want you to know that I did not mean to cause this. I was always just so proud of you…" She trailed off, "Maybe too proud."

Andromeda turned to Cosima to see that the albino woman was crying, patting the young woman on the back.

"Mother," Andromeda repeated, "What's going on?"

"I have offended the gods. They are going to send a monster to attack our kingdom." Queen Cassiopeia informed her daughter and Andromeda covered her mouth in shock.

"What?" The princess gasped, tears forming in her eyes. "But...I... what can we do?"

"Your father has spoken to the oracle. The only way to stop the attack is to...to…" Her mother stammered, shaking her head.

"To what?" Andromeda asked, tears now streaming down her face.

"To sacrifice you!" Cosima exclaimed, putting her face in her hands and sobbing.

Andromeda said nothing, only starting to hyperventilate. Her mother wrapped her arms around her and kissed her forehead, trying to sooth her but Andromeda started to shake. "I'm going to die." She whispered to herself, before sobbing aloud, "I'm going to die!"

Queen Cassiopeia pulled back from her, shaking her daughter. "No!" The queen protested. "This is my fault! I will not let my child die for what I have done."

"But the kingdom will be destroyed!" Andromeda argued. "I do not want the kingdom to suffer in exchange for my life!"

"If anyone should die, it should be me!" The queen insisted, shaking her head. "Not you. Not my child."

"What am I going to do?" The bronze beauty yelled, yanking away from her mother, "Live in the forest the rest of my life while my kingdom is destroyed?" The young woman shook her head, angry tears falling from her eyes. "I will be sacrificed to the gods! A noble way to die mother!"

Queen Cassiopeia walked up to her daughter and slapped her, making Cosima sob and Andromeda snap a hand up to her cheek. The princess looked at her mother in shock, she had never laid a hand on her. "Listen to me." Her mother stressed sternly, taking the princess by her shoulders once again and looking into her eyes. "You will not die tonight. I will not let you be sacrificed, do you hear me? You will be safe."

Andromeda eyes snapped closed and she let out a quiet sob. "Where?" She whispered to her mother and the queen's fingers played with the emerald pendant around her neck.

"Asgard." The queen whispered in reply.

The princess opened her eyes in shock. "How?" She stammered out.

"Prince Loki is indebted to our family. This will be his way to repay the debt." The queen explained, moving the curls out of her daughter's face lovingly. "You will be safe." The older woman repeated to her daughter, cupping her cheek.

Light started to form from the heavens and the three woman looked up. Andromeda marveled as she looked around her, the rain around the three women seem to stop as the bright light came closer. As the light hit the ground around them, a figure appeared. The figure seemed to be a tall being.

The light subsided and Andromeda could see the figure clearer now. It was a tall man with the chiseled face and body of a Greek. The man had golden hair, straight as a blade of grass, a feature Andromeda had never seen before, and he had a full beard.

The tall man stepped in front of the women and the three women bowed, as did the man. "I am Thor," His loud voice seemed to boom as he bowed, "Son of Odin, Prince of Asgard."

"I am Queen Cassiopeia of Aethiopia." The queen introduced herself, her voice loud and regal as she bowed her head. "This is my daughter, Princess Andromeda of Aethiopia."

Andromeda curtsied in her cloak and Prince Thor took her hand, lightly brushing his lips across her knuckles.

"Nice to meet you, Princess." He smiled boyishly at her, and if it weren't for the situation Andromeda's dark skin would have a red tint to it. Thor dropped her hand and nodded to her mother. "I will escort the Princess to Asgard, your highness. My brother apologizes for his tardiness."

Andromeda's brows furrowed, "You're not coming with me?" She asked her mother.

Queen Cassiopeia shook her head with a sad smile. "I have to stay here and face the wrath of the gods. I am at fault, after all."

The princess frowned. "I do not want to go without you mother!"

"You must Andromeda. Now stop crying, girl, you'll get frown lines." Her mother chided playfully before embracing her daughter.

Andromeda laughed even though tears were streaming down her face and she hugged her mother tightly. The queen pulled away from her daughter and Andromeda turned to Cosmia.

"Come here, Cosmia." The princess ordered and when Cosmia got close enough she wrapped her arms around the servant. "Keep my mother safe, Cosima."

As they pulled back Cosima nodded, "I'll protect her with my life."

Queen Cassiopeia nodded to Thor. "She is ready." She announced, urging the young woman toward him.

"Excellent." Thor boomed, wrapping his arm around Andromeda. "Stand close now." The light from the heavens shined down on the duo.

"Goodbye Mommy." Andromeda muttered in a soft voice, but Queen Cassiopeia heard her and choked back a sob.

"Goodbye my baby."

Light surrounded Andromeda and it felt like she was floating. She felt like the only thing that was keeping her from floating away was Thor's arm around her waist. The light was so bright, she thought that she would go blind from it. It felt like the two of them were floating forever until they 'landed' in a golden room with a man standing in the center of it in golden armor.

Thor caught Andromeda before she could fall. His hands were wrapped around the princess' waist and her hands were on his chest. Andromeda blinked her amber eyes in shock before pushing away from him, muttering a soft word of thanks.

Thor smirked turning to Heimdall. "Hello Heimdall." He greeted the golden-eyed man, who in turn nodded to him.

"Prince Thor."

Andromeda walked around the platform and marveled at the view of the heavens, before turning her gaze on the guardian in golden armor. She stared in wonder at his eyes and how they contrasted against his dark skin. "He's beautiful." She muttered quietly to herself, but Heimdall's eyes snapped to her. The princess looked away in embarrassment and walked back to Thor, who led her outside the golden chamber.

Once outside, the princess took of the hood of her cloak, her face fully visible to Thor for the first time. The Asgardian Prince stared at the young princess, taking in her beauty.

The princess didn't even notice the prince's gaze on her face as she turned to the Asgardian kingdom. "Oh my gods…" Andromeda gasped, seeing the shining view of Asgard for the first time. The sky was the clearest blue she had ever seen and planets could be seen from their sky. The kingdom was filled with towns and tall golden buildings. The grass was a vibrant green and the palace...the palace was solid gold and extended high into the sky.

Thor grinned at the bronze woman before coming up behind her and lightly putting his hands on her shoulders. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Welcome to Asgard, Princess."

"It's the prettiest sight I have ever seen." The princess turned to Thor, "Your kingdom is beautiful." Her rosy lips smiled at the prince softly.

Thor shook himself out of his gaze and grinned back. "It is your kingdom for the time being also, Princess Andromeda." His voice boomed as he led her to a horse.

The bronze princess laughed, shaking her head. "I am just a guest, Prince Thor." She noted, "You are the prince of this kingdom." The golden-haired prince helped the princess on to a horse and chuckled at her comment.

"Do not fret, Princess," Thor smirked as he looked up at her on her horse. "I will take good care of you." He cooed flirtatiously and the young princess averted her eyes from him, shyly. Thor chuckled again before mounting his own horse.

"Do you know how to ride, Princess?" Thor asked in a teasing tone before they took off, noting that she was not sitting side saddle like other woman.

Andromeda huffed, "I will do just fine. Thank you Prince Thor."

Thor smiled at her cheekily and took off. Andromeda rolled her eyes and rode after him.

As they rode through the towns of Asgard, people stared at Andromeda. The princess smiled softly at the Asgardian peasants, even lifting a hand to wave. When they were halfway to the palace, Thor and Andromeda stopped at a stable to let their horses take a drink.

Thor helped Andromeda off her horse, though his hands seemed to linger around her waist. The princess rolled her eyes and stepped away from the grinning prince. She walked to her horse, and stroked him as he drank water.

"Prince Thor!" Children exclaimed as the two of them ran up to the prince. The boy and girl looked up at the golden-haired heir to the throne with stars in their eyes, gasping in awe.

"Hello children!" Thor's voice boomed as he ruffled the little boys hair. "How are you on this fine day?"

"Fantastic!" The boy replied, and the girl nodded, before asking. "Why are you at the stables today?"

Thor jokingly looked from left to right before leaning down and whispering, "Can the two of you keep a secret?" The children nodded eagerly and the prince grinned. "I am escorting a guest to the palace."

"A guest?" The girl asked, her little brows furrowing. "What kind of guest?"

"A princess." Thor replied and the children gasped.

"A princess?!" The girl exclaimed, looking to her brother. "Where is she?"

Andromeda walked out of the stable then, and the children stared at her with wide eyes. "Oh, hello." The bronze beauty greeted, smiling at the siblings. She kneeled down to their heights and playfully furrowed her brows. "What are your names?"

The little boy blushed and averted his eyes from the pretty woman, instead nudging his sister to answer for him.

"My name is Alva and his name is Asger." Alva grinned at the princess. "What is your name, your highness?"

"My name is Andromeda. You are very pretty Alva." The princess complimented the little girl, cupping her cheek with one hand. Andromeda cupped the little boys cheek and smiled prettily, "And you are very handsome Asger." The beauty laughed as the boy began to sputter and stood up to her full height.

Alva giggled at her brother before looking up at the princess. "Princess Andromeda," She started as Thor led the horses out of the stable. "Are you and Prince Thor courting?"

As Thor chortled, Andromeda's face flushed and her eyes widened. The princess shook her head and Alva pouted.

"That's too bad." Alva stated, frowning. "You would make a pretty queen, Princess Andromeda!"

"Thank you Lady Alva." Andromeda smiled, still a little embarrassed.

Thor calmed himself and walked over to the group. "I am sad to say, it is time for us to depart."

Princess Andromeda leaned down and hugged both of the children. "It was nice meeting the two of you." She chimed, smiling. Prince Thor helped her onto her horse before mounting his own.

"Goodbye children!" Thor waved as they rode off and the children waved back frantically. "You know Princess," the golden-haired prince started as he rode next to the bronze beauty. "Little Alva was correct, you would make a beautiful queen."

Andromeda looked to Thor with a raised brow. "I will make a beautiful queen," The princess paused before nudging her horse in it's side and speeding in front of Thor. "Of Aethiopeia!"

Thor chuckled at the mortal woman before charging forward. "It will take two weeks." He smugly smiled to himself.


	5. Little Princess

(A/N: Please leave me some reviews! I don't really know if anyone is reading this...)

Andromeda and Thor walked the halls of the palace. The princess marveled at the high ceilings, golden walls and pretty floors. Portraits of the royal family hung in the hallway, and Andromeda pointed to the strawberry-blonde woman in the painting.

"Is that your mother?" She asked Thor, staring at the woman in the portrait.

"Ah yes." Thor grinned as two maids walked up to the pair, "You will meet her after you get settled. Now," He motioned to the maids, "These two will lead you to your quarters."

The servants bowed to the young princess. "This way." Their voices chimed in unison, leading the girl away from her escort.

Andromeda followed after the maids, her wet gown and cloak trailing after her. She walked with her head held high, like any royal was taught to do, and as people in the palace passed her they stared. Andromeda was sure she looked absolutely dreadful. Her wet gown stuck to her skin, making the girl have a slight chill. The bun that she put her curly hair in had loosened during the ride to the palace, but the bun was still in place with the gold ribbon, though strands hung in her face and down her neck.

When the three of them came to a gold detailed double door, the two maids opened both of the doors. "Here we are, Princess Andromeda."

The bronze princess looked around the room, taking slow steps around the suite. Of course the room was smaller than her bedroom back home, but it was still sizable. The room smelt like something similar to roses and there was a desk and book shelf against the wall. There was a king bed in the middle of the room, dressed in blankets and big pillows. The room was painted a pretty white and the ceiling had gold detailing. Andromeda marveled at the ceiling, where a painting of the Asgardian sky was placed above the bed. On the other wall, there was a huge door, that lead to the bathroom no doubt, and by the door was a huge vanity with a mirror extended to the ceiling. A tall dresser stood against the wall, and when Andromeda opened it, it was filled with dresses and shoes.

"Not to interrupt, Princess." The golden-haired maid chimed, closing the door behind her. "We need to get you ready to face the King."

The brunette maid trotted to the princess and took off her damp cloak. "Would you like a bath, Princess?"

Andromeda sighed and nodded, "Please." The maid's led her into the bathroom where a huge, porcelain tub sat in the middle of the room. "May I ask your names?" The princess politely asked, as the golden-haired maid undressed her.

"I am Ragna," The golden-haired maid answered her, before motioning to the maid pouring hot water into the tub, "She is Sylvi."

"Nice to meet you both." She nodded to them, stepping into the tub. The maids scrubbed at her body, washing away the rain and the pain of last night. Andromeda's eyes fluttered closed as Ragna hands ran through her curls and massage her scalp. Usually, Cosima would be the one to wash the young girl's hair, humming softly. Cosima had been with her since she was a baby, and the albino woman took care of the girl like she was her own, even though Cosima was only a decade older than the princess.

In that soothing moment in the warm-watered tub, Andromeda started to feel homesick. Her fingers started to play with her emerald pendant, as she longed for the familiar feelings of home. Asgard was beautiful, but Aethiopia was hers.

Her sad, sapling eyes opened as Sylvi helped her out of the tub. The two maids dried the princess off with fluffy towels before leading her back into the bedroom. They dressed her in a teal-blue Asgardian gown that had flowing sleeves, dipped down to the start of her cleavage and cinched at her waist, an obvious contrast to the dresses Andromeda was used to. Ragna put golden sandals on Andromeda's feet, then sat her down at the vanity. Ragna and Sylvi then began to tame Andromeda's long curly hair.

They both had a comb in their hand and stood on either side of the princess, combing her curls out. Andromeda watched them with a smile, laughing when they got frustrated. "I can do it myself, ladies." Andromeda giggled, "You do not have to struggle."

Ragna shook her head, "It is fine, Princess." She insisted, combing through a snag. After a while, Andromeda's hair was detangled and styled. The princess' hair was left free and flowing, the top half of her hair in a high bun and the bottom half of her hair hanging down her back, two long curls were left in front of her face.

Andromeda found the style odd, back home, her mother had told her it was inappropriate and informal to wear your hair down, so Andromeda's hair was always braided away or put in a bun. But here on Asgard, the women just wore their hair down without a thought. It was also strange that, for the first time in her life, Andromeda wasn't wearing a crown.

A knock sounded at the door and Sylvi walked over to answer it. It was a guard.

"I am here to escort Princess Andromeda to the Grand Hall." The guard said, bowing once Andromeda walked to the door. Andromeda curtsied and took the guard's arm, walking with him down the long hallway. It was quiet in the hallway and the sound of the princess' sandals echoed as they clicked against the floor. They got to a huge door and the guard let go of her arm. As the big doors opened for her, Andromeda raised her head high, relaxing her shoulders and crossing her hands over one another in front of her.

"Princess Andromeda," A voice announced and the princess kept her expression neutral, "Daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia of Aethiopia."

Andromeda breathed softly through her nose as she walked in front of the throne. She bowed deeply to the King, before returning to her normal height her amber eyes dancing over the royal court.

The King of Asgard sat tall on his throne, glaring down at the little princess. His hair was white with knowledge, and his face aged. He had a patch over one of his eyes and he was wearing gold armor. Sitting to the right of him was the woman Andromeda had seen in the portraits in the hall. She was even more beautiful in person and her eyes were kind.

"Princess Andromeda," Odin's voice boomed, and she saw where Thor got it from, "Your family assisted my youngest son when he was in need. Your presence as our guest is most welcome."

Andromeda smiled then, bowing her head in thanks.

"You may speak." Odin nodded to her.

"Thank you for allowing me to take refuge in your kingdom. It is very beautiful." Andromeda smiled again, her eyes warm as tree sap.

"Your words are very kind, my dear." Queen Frigga smiled at the young girl.

"Yes," Odin exclaimed, "We will have a welcome feast for you in three days. But for now, please feel free to explore the palace grounds."

"Thank you, Allfather." Andromeda bowed, before she was dismissed from the room. She smiled as she walked out of the throne room, happy that she was received well by the King and Queen.

"Ah Princess." Thor grinned at her as she left the room. He seemed to have been waiting for her, leaning against the wall outside the Grand Hall. "How was your initial meeting?"

Andromeda smiled, "It went well." She said shortly, walking away from the prince.

Thor frowned before following after the young princess, his long legs keeping up with her short ones. "Did they tell you about the welcoming feast?" He asked, before adding, "It was my idea, really."

"Oh was it?" Andromeda teased, not looking at the prince. The golden-haired prince stood in front of Andromeda, making her stop walking and stare up at him. She raised a dark brow as he just grinned at her.

"I am going to spar." Thor announced, his voice echoing through the halls. He leaned close to the princess' face, "Would you like to watch me, Princess Andromeda?"

"Well," Andromeda started, averting her eyes from his blues, "I actually wanted to explore the grounds today."

Thor frowned, stroking his beard with his hand, before he quickly began to grin again. "I could be your guide!"

The bronze beauty shook her head, "That really is not necessary, Prince Thor." The princess turned on the charm then, stepping closer to the prince and putting a hand on his chest plate. She looked up at him with wide eyes, "You wouldn't want to miss a day of training, now would you?" She blinked twice, almost like a child in wonder.

Thor smiled down at the princess, his fingers playing with a loose curl in front of her face. "I suppose not." He remarked, and Andromeda smiled up at him prettily.

"Great. I will see you at a later time, then Prince Thor." Andromeda chimed, patting the prince on his chest plate and dancing around him. She swayed away with a roll of her eyes and a snicker, not having to look back to know that Thor was watching her.

After a few moments of walking through the halls, Andromeda came to a door that led outside. She opened it and looked around cautiously, before stepping into the royal garden. Vibrant flowers and shrubbery filled the garden, so did floral smells that were foreign to her. As she walked along the pathway of the garden, her fingers grazed the tops of the flowers. It reminded her of when she was a child and she would run through the plains.

Andromeda laughed to herself when she remembered how Ares used to yell, seemingly turning red with anger at the young girl's antics. Cosima would soothe him, charming him with her smile while Andromeda got away.

The princess smile melted away as she sat on a stone bench. Her fingers twiddled with her pendant as she sighed sadly. It had only been a day and she was already longing for home. How weak of her, she was supposed to be a queen one day, and she can't even stand to be away from her kingdom for more than an hour.

Suddenly, it seemed like the pendant disappeared from between her fingers and Andromeda's hands snapped to her neck. The princess' eyes widened when she didn't feel the chain.

She looked to the ground, trying to find the skinny chained necklace, but did not see the shine of the emerald pendant. The princess got up from the bench and kneeled down, running her hands over the ground, frantically trying to find her necklace. "Oh please." She quietly prayed, looking below the bench.

Her dark brows furrowed in confusion when she saw black boots standing on the other side of the bench. She got up from the ground, embarrassed, and wiped the dirt from her gown. When she looked up, familiar green eyes were staring down at her.

Andromeda's sapling eyes scanned the prince's face, taking in all of his features. A smile began to grow on her face but she bit her bottom lip to contain it. The prince pulled a hand from behind his back and her necklace dangled between his fingers. Andromeda reached up to grab it but he pulled it away from her, dangling above her head like he used to, when she was a child. The princess reached high above her head, trying to grab her necklace but it disappeared completely from his fingers.

Andromeda rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. "I would like my necklace back, please." She said in an even tone.

Prince Loki smirked at her before slowly walking around the bronze girl in a circle. He looked like a predator sizing up his prey and it unnerved Andromeda that he hadn't spoken a word to her. "You have grown, my little princess." The prince spoke at last, smirking at the young girl. He walked up to her and looked down his nose at the short woman. "Here." He muttered, placing a finger on the column of her throat. The necklace materialized on to her neck, the magic feeling cold against her skin. "I am surprised you still possess it."

"I am surprised you're still so pale." Andromeda quipped, her full lips turning into a smirk. "Like a statue."

"Oh little girl," Loki put a hand over his heart, "How you scar me. I thought we were friends."

Andromeda's face broke into a grin at their banter, happy that he remembered her. "Tell me," She started, sitting on the stone bench. She crossed her ankles and looked up at Loki with big, doe eyes, "Do I look different?"

"Oh yes." The prince replied, walking behind the girl and putting his hands on her shoulders. Andromeda felt a chill go down her spine when she felt his bare skin on hers. "You have changed, Princess."

Andromeda's head rolled back and she looked up at him. "How?" She breathed out.

"You have matured." The silver-tongued prince ran a finger across her brows, making Andromeda's eyes snap closed. He placed his hands on her head and traced her eyelids with his thumbs. His pale thumbs traced her cheek bones and her nose before placing a thumb on her soft, supple, bottom lip. Loki pulled her lip back and Andromeda lets out a shuddery breath.

Andromeda feels the prince step away from her suddenly and her eyes flutter open. She turned to ask him why he stepped away but was interrupted by another prince.

"Princess Andromeda!" Thor's voice roared as he approached the young girl. "I am pleased to inform you that I have finished sparring and I can escort you on your tour of the palace."

Andromeda shook her head, her curls falling around her face. "You are most kind Thor but I have already found a guide."

Thor's brows furrowed as he sat on the stone bench next to her. "Who has taken my place as your guide?"

The young princess looked behind her, only to see that Loki was gone. "I must have been mistaken, Prince Thor. Forgive me." The princess apologized, "When would you like to begin my tour?"

The golden-haired son of Odin grinned at her boyishly. He stood up from the bench and offered his arm to her. "We can begin now, if you would like Princess."

Andromeda gracefully stood and took Thor's arm, wrapping her arm around his bulging bicep. "Lead the way."


	6. Silver-Tongued Prince

(A/N: You guys are too sweet! Thank you so much for your reviews!)

Andromeda bellowed out a laugh as she listened to Thor tell another one of his childhood stories to her. The prince had been surprisingly enjoyable company for the last two days as he escorted her around the royal grounds. He had made the young princess giggle on multiple occasions, and she tried to laugh as softly as possible but the last story he told had made her chortle from her belly.

Thor watched Andromeda laugh with a wide grin, happy that the princess was enjoying his company. As Andromeda finally caught her breath she covered her mouth and looked away from the prince, embarrassed.

Thor placed a hand on her chin and made her look back to him with a smile. "Your laugh," he started, before chuckling, "Is very full, like a boom of thunder."

Andromeda squinted her amber eyes at the prince. "Is that supposed to be complimentary?"

Thor nodded, letting go of Andromeda's arm and stepping in front of her. "Please take no offense, milady. I only mean that your laugh is wonderful to listen to, albeit a bit loud."

"Now I am loud?" Andromeda asked, her voice going up an octave and echoing through the halls of the palace, "My laughter does not ring like the chimes of some other women, but I do not think of it loud like thunder."

Thor sighed, rubbing his chin with his hand. "I was trying to compliment you. My apologies if you took it as any less. I enjoy listening to you bellow out like a man than the bells of your chuckle, that is all I mean Princess."

Andromeda's face softened and she pursed her lips. Her laugh was a sore spot for her, for her mother had always told her it was too loud and boisterous, not the laugh of a royal lady. She needed to giggle not cackle, speak softly, barely below a whisper. Andromeda never really laughed, she just giggled.

"I apologize for my assumptions, Prince Thor." Andromeda nodded to him, taking his arm again. "Now, I am sure you have many women fawning over you."

Thor laughed at her frankness and stroked his beard. "I am a prince." He said matter of factly, "All of the young maidens of Asgard would love to marry a prince. As I am sure that you have your fair share of suitors?"

Andromeda paused before deciding not to tell Thor about her arranged marriage. "Of course, but as a prince you are more free to choose maidens to court."

Thor smirked before shrugging. "I suppose."

"And bed?" Andromeda added with a raised brow.

Thor's smirk widened as he repeated, "I suppose."

"How lucky." The bronze beauty deadpanned, letting go of the prince's arm and walking in front of him.

"Lucky?" Thor inquired behind her as the princess studied a big golden door. "The library." He explained, before repeating, "Lucky?"

Andromeda opened the big door and walked in, before turning toward Thor. "That you have a choice." She remarked before closing the big door behind her.

She walked between the bookshelves, running her hands along the book spines. The young princess picked up a book and opened it, seeing it was in a language that she did not understand. She put the book back and continued to walk through the royal library.

It was silent in the room, not even the sound of a page turning and Andromeda figured she was alone. The princess tried to at least find a book in latin that she could read but she couldn't. Sighing, the bronze beauty continued to walk through the library until she reached the very back of the room, where she found a surprise.

Prince Loki was sitting at a desk and reading through a book, taking notes on the side with a quill pen.

The princess had not seen the dark prince the whole day, for after he disappeared from the garden, the princess did not know where to find him.

Andromeda smiled and took off her noisy sandals, placing them by a shelf. She stepped on the tips of her toes, creeping up behind the prince and opened her mouth to scare him.

She took a deep breath in but before she could shout, the prince's voice rang out. "I know you are there, little Andromeda."

Andromeda exhaled a whine before walking up to the prince. "How did you know?"

Prince Loki didn't look up from his text, though he waved a hand in the air, "Magic." He chimed, as green matter danced between his fingers. "Also your footsteps are heavy, like a horse."

"They are not!" Andromeda glared as she turned to face him.. "All have you know, I float rather than walk, my footsteps are light as a feather."

"You stomp, like you have hooves." Loki remarked, still not looking up at her.

Andromeda gasped, "I must certainly do not stomp!"

"You're voice is not light either, it's deeper than the average women's." The prince smirked at his insult.

"Do you Asgardian men insult your women like this? Or is it because I am foreign you feel the need to comment on my attributes?" The princess inquired, leaning against the library wall.

"Asgardian men?" Loki questioned, writing a note down from his script.

Andromeda nodded, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. "Prince Thor said that my laugh was loud like thunder."

The dark-haired prince paused in his note taking. His brother had made her laugh, his little Andromeda. Was he to steal her away like he did countless others before her?

The prince quickly fixed his face into a teasing smirk, finally looking up at the curly-haired royal. "Well he wasn't lying. Even as a child your laugh could shake the palace walls."

Andromeda's eyes snapped to his, embers replacing the saplings. "Oh how you stretch the truth, my prince!"

Loki raised a dark brow, suppressing a smile at her term of endearment, and returned his gaze to his script. "Do I?"

"You do!" Andromeda nodded. The princess crossed her arms and laid them on the desk, bending over slightly to lean on the desk. She lowered her voice, "You know, I remember you as being a lot kinder."

The prince looked up at the princess, amused. He widened his eyes mockingly and leaned into her. "I remember you as being shorter and fatter." The prince muttered before laughing at his own joke.

Andromeda pursed her lips. "Ha ha." She remarked dryly. "You still have a way with words I see. Hm, what do they call you?" The princess stood at her full height and placed a mockingly thoughtful finger to her chin. "The silver-tongued prince? How does one acquire a tongue made of silver?"

"I could show you better than I could tell you," Loki paused, his green eyes glaring into hers, though not a hint of jest was in his tone. "Andromeda."

The princess shivered as her name rolled of his tongue. The prince had caught her off guard as he stood up from his desk chair and walked towards her. Andromeda's arms dropped to her sides as she stepped backward as Loki moved towards her, only to run into the library wall. Her eyes fluttered as she looked up at her prince. His green eyes were looking down at her and his eyes were searching, yet his face was blank.

"Would you like me to?" The prince finally spoke, though he spoke so low Andromeda hardly heard him.

"To what?" She whispered back, tilting her head up slightly. Her chest slowly rose up and down as she tried to control her breathing.

Loki's gazed moved from each of her brown eyes, that at that moment didn't burn like embers, instead they resembled sap from a tree, soft and childlike. "Show you."

Andromeda swallowed thickly, and bit her lip. The princess didn't exactly know what he meant by those words, but by the way he said them, she could tell they were not appropriate.

The young girl was virtuous, though she was not naive. She had always curious been about the act of coitus, when Andromeda was thirteen, she remembered finding forbidden scripts in their royal library. The scripts contained paintings of couples bare of any clothing and in strange positions. It was all so… strange. How could someone possibly derive pleasure from being folded and bent.

That same year, the young princess became very aware of her changing body. Her parents took her on a trip to Greece, where she had a short lived affair with a Greek royal around her age. The two did no more than kiss, but that was enough for little Andromeda to want more. Sadly, the boy was the only one who had kissed her and the next probable man to kiss her would be her betrothed.

"Andromeda?" Loki's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Would you like me to show you?"

The princess averted her eyes from his and shook her head. "No thank you." The curly haired girl then pushed past the prince. "If you would excuse me." She whispered, all but running away from the library.

Andromeda shut the door behind her and walked away from the room, her heart beating loudly in her ears. She breathed heavily as she tried to find her room, looking for familiar portraits on the wall. After a few minutes, the princess found a guard, who escorted the flustered girl to her room.

The bronze beauty thanked the guard before closing the heavy door to her room and leaning against it. Her face felt hot and the young girl was embarrassed. She had practically ran from the prince, like a child, and her worry could be for absolutely nothing. Maybe the green-eyed prince did not mean anything inappropriate and Andromeda was being filthy.

Andromeda frowned as she took her hair down and ran a comb through her curls. How unbecoming she had acted. If her mother had seen her behavior she would have to go back to lesson one of charm school with Cosima. The princess shivered at the thought and braided her hair to take her mind off of it.

A knock sounded at her door and she stood to answer it. It was only Ragna and Sylvi.

"We were told to get you prepared for dinner, Princess." Ragna informed her, closing the door behind the two of them.

"It seems we will only have to put a new gown on you, your hair is already done." Sylvi remarked, going into the dresser and picking out a deep indigo off-the-shoulder gown. As Sylvi helped Andromeda put the dress on, the princess noted that all Asgardian dresses seemed to fit tightly, showing off a woman's figure. Ragna helped Andromeda slip into a pair of white sandals before sitting her at the vanity.

Ragna painted Andromeda's lips a light pink and brushed light red blush on her cheeks. The golden-haired servant left Andromeda's hair the way that the princess had done it, only pushing the braid forward so it could fall down to her breasts.

"Beautiful." Sylvi complimented and a knock sounded at the door once more. The brunette hurried to answer the door, bowing when Prince Thor was revealed.

"Princess Andromeda." Thor grinned as the princess turned away from the mirror. "I've come to escort you to dinner."

Andromeda nodded and stood from the vanity, crossing her hands in front of her. "How do I look, Prince Thor?"

Thor's blue eyes scanned the princess from head to toe, taking extra time to study her face. He looked into her eyes as he smiled softly. "Radiant." He finally replied, offering his arm to her.

Andromeda took his arm and they began their journey to the Grand Hall. "You know," The princess started with a smirk, "Your comment makes up for earlier."

Thor chuckled and patted her hand that laid on his bicep. "So you forgive me?"

"I did not say that." Andromeda suppressed her smile by biting her bottom lip.

The prince watched her with a grin but said nothing, not wanting to offend the young girl again. As they arrived to the Hall, the guards opened the door for them, and they walked in. Andromeda beamed as she took in the sight of the Hall.

Like most everything in the palace, it was golden. A long table sat in the middle of the Hall with food on serving platters in the middle of the table.

King Odin, Queen Frigga, and some other people in the royal court Andromeda had not met yet sat at the table. Thor led her to a seat on the right side of the table, next to the queen. Andromeda waited, expecting Thor to pull out her chair for her, but the prince just walked to the other side of the table and sat down.

The princess furrowed her brows and lifted a hand to pull the chair out when a pale hand shot out in front of hers, pulling the chair out. She looked up to see Prince Loki staring down at her with a smile.

"Milady." He bowed his head slightly to her. The princess returned the gesture and sat down. Prince Loki pushed chair into the table and went on the other side, sitting across from her.

"Forgive my son." Queen Frigga muttered to her, shaking her head.

Andromeda smiled prettily, "It is fine, Queen Frigga."

"Before we eat," King Odin's voice suddenly boomed, "We have a guest at our table. Princess Andromeda of Aethiopia is here to partake with us. Please welcome her, as she is my guest. Now, you may eat."

Andromeda looked around to see everyone fixing their own plate and mimicked their actions. In Aethiopia, the servants would fix the plates and bring them out to them to eat. It was another culture difference to get accustomed to she supposed.

The princess took a cautionary bite of the meat presented to her before deciding that she liked it. She took small bites, as her mother had taught her. Picking up the chalice in front of her, she took a small sip before discovering that it was some sort of ale. She took another small sip before eating once again.

"Princess Andromeda," Queen Frigga smiled at the young girl, "Tell me about your kingdom."

Andromeda dabbed at her mouth with a napkin before starting, "Well it's large, though of course not as large as Asgard. But it's beautiful. Aethiopia has plains as far as the eye can see with tall grass and flower beds. We are on a coast and the water is as clear as the blue sky." The princess spoke of her home with stars in her eyes and fondness in her voice.

"When I was a child I used to spend hours outside running through the plains. I used to hide from my handlers in the sunflowers beds. They would get so angry with me." Andromeda giggled, shaking her head at the memory.

"My son told me that is where you found him." Queen Frigga informed her with a smile, "He said he opened his eyes and a child with eyes of amber and skin of bronze was standing over him."

"I thought he was an injured animal." Andromeda smirked before adding, "I was partially right."

Queen Frigga laughed at the young girl's joke. The older woman took Andromeda's hand in her own, "I sincerely thank you for assisting my son."

"Queen Frigga thanks is not needed!" Andromeda assured the queen, "I hardly helped, I was only a child."

"Yes," The queen nodded, "But your wondering ways led you to my injured son. Almost like fate, my dear."

Andromeda said nothing in return, only smiling at the older woman. Queen Frigga's eyes locked onto her necklace. "How pretty! May I?" Andromeda nodded and the queen studied the emerald pendant. She then smiled knowingly at the young princess and let go of her hand.

After dinner, the royal court lingered around the Grand Hall for a few hours. Some people came up to Andromeda and introduced themselves, while others simply stared at her.

Andromeda leaned against a pillar in the room, waiting for the festivities to be over. Her eyes scanned the room for Thor, and when they settled on the brute, he was flirting with a gaggle of giggling women.

"You seem quite festive." Prince Loki's voice whispered in her ear and Andromeda looked around for the prince. He was nowhere near her, instead nodding at her to follow him.

Andromeda looked around the Hall as she slipped away, seemingly unnoticed, but knowing, motherly eyes followed her.

"Prince Loki?" Andromeda whispered looking around the hallway.

"In here." She heard, and she followed his voice.

The prince was sitting on a leather couch in a sort of lounge room. There was a huge fire pit in the middle of the room and the back wall was filled with only windows.

Loki patted the space next to him on the couch and Andromeda walked over to him, sitting down on the edge of the seat.

The prince turned to the young girl. "Andro-" He stopped himself, "Princess Andromeda, I want to apologize for my actions in the library earlier."

Andromeda shook her head. "You do not have to apologize. I should apologize for my hasty exit."

Loki took Andromeda's hands in his and looked into her eyes. "I do not blame you for leaving. I was being inappropriate with you and for that I apologize. I do not want to make you feel uncomfortable during your stay here."

"I am not uncomfortable." Andromeda assured, though her voice was soft.

Loki sighed, seeing that Andromeda would not look at him. He removed his hands from hers and thought for a moment. Coming up with an idea, the sorcerer faked a gasp. "What is that?"

Andromeda blinked, confused. She looked behind her and did not see anything. "What are you talking about?"

"That, right there." Loki pointed on her dress and she looked down only for him to pull of a jewel on her dress. She looked up at him curiously before widening her eyes as he turned the jewel in to candy.

Andromeda smiled as she took the sweet from him and unwrapped it. She put it in her mouth and sighed. "You all have the best candy." She remarked as the sweet melted on her tongue.

"I myself am not a fan." Loki informed her, happy that she was looking at him again.

The princess furrowed her eyebrows, "Of Asgardian candy?"

"Of any sweet thing."

Andromeda's eyes widened, "Gods! You don't like sweets?"

"They are disgusting, too potent." Loki grimaced, gazing at how the fire's glow made Andromeda's skin gleam.

"In that case," The princess grinned, "May I have another?"

Loki chuckled and pulled a candy from behind her ear. Andromeda unwrapped it slowly before holding it out to the prince.

He eyed her warily, "I told you I do not like them."

"I have never met anyone who did not like sweets," Andromeda said, her eyes bright, "So I've come to the conclusion that you did not eat it correctly."

Loki raises his dark brows. "Oh?"

"Yes, you have to savor them. Stick out your tongue." She demanded and Loki grinned at her.

The dark-haired prince stuck out his tongue and the princess placed the small disk on his appendage. Loki closed his mouth, and Andromeda watched his face as the candy dissolved.

"So?" The princess looked at him expectantly.

"Disgusting." Loki simply replied.

"You must have done something wrong!" Andromeda insisted and Loki chuckled.

"I did exactly what you told me to, I just do not like sweets." Loki surmised as the princess frowned. The green-eyed prince laughed at her and Andromeda furrowed her brows.

"What?" She asked and he shook his head at her.

"You are still like a child." Loki remarked and Andromeda frowned deeply.

"I am not a child, Prince Loki. It's been ten years since you've seen me."

"Ten years on Midgard." Loki reminded her, "Only a few weeks on Asgard. It seems like yesterday you were following after me, face chubby with the fat of a babe. And now you're…" The prince paused, his gaze sweeping over the princess' body. "A woman."

And there it was, the difference between them finally said aloud. Andromeda was not a little girl anymore, and Loki was not just a friend she could look up to, he was a prince. If the two had lived in the same realm, he would be trying to court her. A friendship between the two of them now, would always have an undercurrent of romance, whether they wanted to admit to it or not.

Andromeda bit her lip, averting her gaze from the prince, before asking, "Did you think of me? At all?"

Loki studied her face, but he did not answer her question, instead placing a finger under her chin and turning her face back to him. "Did you think of me?" He retorted, watching her expression.

Andromeda wants to scream 'Yes!' but she doesn't. She wants to tell him about how she knew he was going to come back for her, but she didn't. She wants to tell him that she is betrothed but she would drop her title to be with him, but she does not.

Instead she nods silently, and watches how the fire's light dances on his pale skin. Before she knows it, he's leaning toward her and her eyes flutter closed, only to be interrupted by a loud belch and giggling.

Andromeda jumps away from Loki then, right as Thor and a woman come into the room.

"Princess Andromeda!" Thor grins, the smell of ale wafting from him.

"Hello Thor." The princess nods to him.

"Have you met...uh…" He gestures to the female on his arm.

"Ingrid!" The woman snaps and Thor grins once again.

"Ingrid! I knew that, pretty name Ingrid is."

Andromeda turned to Loki with a tight grin, "I am going to sleep. Goodnight." The curly-haired princess got up to leave but the prince grabbed her hand.

"Wait, let me escort you to your room." Loki offered but the princess shook her head.

"No thank you, I can find it on my own." Andromeda nodded to him once more. "Goodnight Prince Loki."

"Goodnight little princess." Loki nods to her as she leaves the room. He looks at his brother and his wench as scoffs. "Buffon." He mutters under his breath.


	7. Formalities

When Andromeda woke up the next day, the Asgardian sunlight was streaming through her windows. As the princess' eyes adjusted to the light, her suite seemed to glow and she was reminded of home.

The princess rose from her bed and stretched her arms over her head, a yawn emitting from her plump lips. She did not feel like waiting for Ragna and Sylvi to dress her, so she picked out a dress for herself. It was a plain light pink gown that reminded her of Aethiopia, for it flowed around her body instead of cinching at her waist. She put the dress on and stared at herself in the mirror, liking how the neckline of the dress sat just below her collarbone. The princess combed through her hair, before tying it into a high ponytail with a white ribbon. She slipped on her shoes and headed out into the hallway.

Andromeda found her way to the dining hall and took an apple like fruit from the table, not really feeling like eating. She then wandered around the palace grounds smiling at everyone she came across.

Walking outside, Andromeda heard grunts and commotion coming from a few feet away from her. She followed the noise, discarding the core of her fruit, and watched curiously as she came to the training grounds.

Thor was sparring with a burly red-headed man. The prince seemed to have the upper hand, grunting deeply as he landed a blow on the other man. The sound of swords clashing thrilled Andromeda as she watched the sparring match.

"Hello." The princess jumped when a feminine voice greeted her.

Andromeda turned to her side and saw a pale woman with long black hair in a style similar to hers. The woman had fierce grey eyes, and she was dressed in armor similar to a man's, though she had an indecently short skirt on.

"Hello." Andromeda greeted the woman before turning back to the battle.

"I am Lady Sif." The woman introduced herself. "You must be Princess Andromeda." The princess nodded, not looking away from the sparring session. "Do you fight?" Sif asked the princess.

Andromeda shook her head with a laugh. "My mother would never let me. She nearly had a heart palpitation when I beat up my male cousin when I was seven."

"You should learn, it is a powerful skill to have." The brunette warrior remarked, crossing her arms.

Andromeda nodded her head, "Maybe some day…" She trailed, flinching when Thor almost fell to the ground.

Sif watched her action and shook her head, frowning deeply. The princess was everything she wasn't and she could see why Thor would not stop raving about her. Princess Andromeda was beautiful, even in Asgardian standards, and she was the picture of femininity.

The bearded man was on his last leg and the prince was smiling triumphantly. As Thor was about to cast a final blow to the man, he caught a glimpse of Andromeda watching him. A smug look took over his face as he took extra care to flex the muscle in his arm. The red-headed man watched as Thor was distracted and took the chance to sweep the prince off his feet. Thor fell with a groan and the man stood over him with his sword pointed at the prince's neck.

Sif rolled her eyes and looked to Andromeda, expecting the princess to be worried over the golden-haired prince. The princess had a hand over her mouth and her amber eyes were wide, and Sif scowled at the girl. The warrior's scowl was replaced by a surprised look when she heard the tell-tale sign of a snicker.

Andromeda tried her hardest to hold in her laugh, pressing a hand against her mouth, but her snickers started to turn to giggles. As Thor was helped off the ground, a laugh rang through the training ground. The princess' boom of a laugh caused Sif to start snickering with her and the two girls leaned on each other as they cackled.

Thor's cheeks were tinted pink as he walked up to the women. "Morning Princess." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed.

Andromeda covered her mouth to hide her smirk and nodded to the prince. "Good morning, Prince Thor. I decided to take you up on your offer to watch you sparring. Maybe I came on the wrong day…"

Sif snorted out a laugh at the princess' statement, quickly silencing herself when Thor threw her an annoyed look.

"The sun was in my eyes." Thor muttered the excuse to Andromeda and the bearded man the prince was fighting came up to the three of them, dropping a heavy hand on Thor's shoulder.

"That's what you think of her?" The redhead gestured to the princess. "The sun?" Thor sputtered and babble trying to defend himself as Andromeda laughed.

"I am Princess Andromeda." The princess introduced herself holding a hand out to the bearded man.

"Volstagg of the Warriors Three." Volstagg said, brushing his lips across the princess' knuckles. "Your beauty must have distracted our crowned prince."

"Or," Andromeda casted a teasing glance to Thor, "He isn't as good as he thinks he is."

Sif raises her eyebrows and looked between Thor and a smirking Andromeda, waiting to see how the Prince would react.

"Oh?" Thor said, raising his eyebrows.

"A beautiful maiden could have been on the battlefield and you would have been killed. Living is much more important than boasting." Andromeda explained, daring the prince to disagree with her eyes.

The prince crossed his arms, a pensive look spreading on his face. Sif and Volstagg waited for the prideful prince's reaction with baited breath. "I suppose," Thor started, stroking his bearded chin. "You are correct, though it would be most surprising to find a maiden as fair as you, Princess."

Andromeda tilted her head slightly to the side and quirked up an eyebrow, smirking at the prince. "Though that may be true, you should be prepared for anything, am I correct in my presumption?"

Thor nodded grinning at the princess. "You are correct, once again." The prince paused and took Andromeda's hand in his own, looking deeply into her eyes, "The next time you watch me I will be triumphant, you have my word."

The princess slipped her hand from his and nodded, walking away from the grounds. "If I find the time." She quipped, swaying away.

Thor watched her with a grin and Sif just shook her head.

Andromeda walk back into the palace and down the hallway towards the library. She opened the heavy door and slipped in, walking through the aisles one more. While she opened a book a voice sounded from behind her.

"My brother's a buffon."

Andromeda grinned, then replied without looking up from the book. "He was just trying to impress me."

"By making an ass of himself?"

"He means well." The princess excused, furrowing her brows at the text of the book.

"I am surprised you can read, Princess."

Andromeda finally turned around and glared at the smirking prince. "I can read." She snapped, slamming the book shut. She shoved it towards the prince and rolled her eyes, "I just cannot understand the tongue these are written in."

"Would you like to learn?" He asked, placing his hand on the bookshelf behind her and leaning towards her.

Andromeda's back was against the bookshelf as she studied the prince's green eyes. "How long would it take?" She replied, her height making her have to tilt her head up to look at the prince.

Loki raised a brow, "With your Midgardian mind it might take longer to-"

With a roll of her eyes, Andromeda clicked her tongue, ducking under the prince's arm and walking away from him. "No thank you," She retorted, before her pretty face twisted into a sneer. "I'm sure me and my 'tiny' mind will do just fine on our own!"

Loki chuckled carelessly as he followed the bronze beauty down the aisle. "Oh little Princess," He cooed, "Can't you take a joke?"

Andromeda turned around fully, her dress fluttering around her and looked up at the prince wide, doe eyes. She placed a petite hand on his chest as her pinks lips pouted. "Oh Prince," She purred, Loki's eyes on her saplings. "You're just not funny." The princess finished in a dry tone, pushing herself away from him and swaying away with her head high.

Loki chuckled as he smoothly followed her out of the library. "You used to think I was funny, little Andromeda." He retorted, smiling at the short woman. The princess huffed and continued to walk, not looking at him. "Has my novelty worn off already?"

Andromeda twirled her pendant in between her fingers as she scoffed. "Your novelty wore off a decade ago."

"On Asgard, a decade ago you were not alive." Loki smartly replied, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Well a decade ago on 'Midgard' you left." Andromeda snapped before calming herself. "And you did not come back."

The prince raised a dark brow and answered calmly, "I never said I would return."

"You did!" The princess insisted loudly, a frown set on her face. She lowered her voice as she repeated herself, "You did."

"No," Loki shook his head, "I did not."

By now the couple had stopped at a tall door, one that Andromeda had never seen before but the princess was too irritated to notice. Loki opened the door for Andromeda and the short woman glared as she walked into the suite.

The room was huge and covered in emerald, gold, and black. A sitting room with leather couches and a large bookshelf was the first thing one saw when they walked in. On the floor were black, fur rugs covering most of the room. Most of the furniture in the room was blackened wood, while the drapery was green.

Andromeda sat on the leather couch and folded her hands in her lap, while Loki sat in an arm chair.

"It is not appropriate for me to be in your chambers, Prince Loki." Andromeda muttered as she looked around the dark room.

"Andromeda," He addressed informally, a sly smile on his lips. "We are passed those formalities, are we not?"

"We are not." The princess dismissed stubbornly, averting her amber eyes.

Loki rolled his eyes, "Are you that angry with me Andromeda?"

"Princess." She snapped, "Princess Andromeda!"

The prince raised his eyebrows at her tone. "Well Princess, since we are not being familiar with each other," He practically spat, "Maybe you have forgotten your place, or you bumped your pretty little head against the linoleum but you are only a guest." He paused with a cruel smile, "A mortal guest at that. You may be a princess on Midgard but do not forget that I am a Prince of Asgard and Son of Odin. You'd do well to watch your tongue."

At the end of the prince's rant, Andromeda was breathing heavily, her eyes wide and watery. She thickly swallowed and blinked her tears away, rising from her seat. "I apologize for my candor, Prince Loki." Her sapling eyes were downcast, "Excuse me." She rushed out of the room and closed the door behind her, gathering her dress in her hands. The princess ran to her suite and locked herself inside, finally allowing her tears to fall.

The way he looked at her… Like she was the scum beneath his feet. The romanticized version of the Prince was now gone from her mind, and the reality began to set in and she did not like it. Andromeda's fingers fingered the necklace on her neck and she yanked it away, flinging it across the room.

The princess frowned deeply before running her hand through her hair. What was she doing? She was a princess! Daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia! The crown jewel of Aethiopia! She was not the one to sit and cry over a man! Men wept over her beauty! Men wept over her dismal of them!

Andromeda's sadness turned to anger as she glared at nothing at all. How foolish she was, crying over a Prince in a foreign land. She had loved him since she was a child, but with a flurry of words the image of him waned.

The princess felt stupid.

A knock sounded at her door and the princess wiped her eyes before answering.

"Hello Princess!" Ragna greeted as she and Sylvi were let in the suite. "We must get you ready for your welcoming feast!"

Sylvi looked at the young woman with a frown. "Are you alright, Princess?"

Andromeda nodded, looking away from the servants, who in turn stayed quiet. They led her to the bathroom and filled the tub with hot water before stripping the princess of her gown.

Andromeda sat on the tub as she was cleaned, her tears now dry. Her eyes were closed as Ragna thick fingers massaged her scalp. Sylvi had put some sort of elixir in the water and it smelled heavenly, the scent settling on her golden brown skin.

As the servants dried her body off, Andromeda's mind and face as blank. Ragna looked to Sylvi with a frown as they led her back into the bedroom. The blonde nodded to the youngest brunette, and Sylvi walked to the door and opened it, picking up two boxes from the floor.

Ragna put a silk robe on the princess and sat her down at the vanity. "To avoid stains, miss." She explained to the princess, who barely nodded. Two hands worked through the princess curls, combing out the knots. They then used a piece of white ribbon to roll her hair into a chignon, that wrapped around half of her head. Sylvi walked over to the bed and opened the box as Ragna began to apply face paint to the princess.

Upon Andromeda's request, Ragna had been supplied with metallic, golden bronzer for her cheeks and golden powder for her eyes. The blonde-haired woman brushed the powder on the princess' face expertly, her brows furrowed in concentration. "Close your eyes please." Ragna muttered, brushing the powdered gold on her lids. She then traced a black line across each lid to a little past the corner of her eye. Ragna then took a small brush, dipped it in black ink, and brushed it through the princess' lashes, making them longer and fuller than she was already blessed with. Finally, the servant dabbed a light pink gloss on Andromeda's lips.

Not feeling movement on her face, Andromeda opened her eyes, only to widen them at her reflection in the mirror. Her face seemed to glow and she looked like a bronzed statue of a goddess from Greece. Her sad sapling eyes seemed to burn like embers with the help of the golden eyeshadow. She wanted to cry in happiness, but she didn't want to ruin her makeup.

"Oh Ragna." Andromeda smiled softly at the golden-haired woman. "You've made me beautiful."

Ragna chuckled and waved her hand. "You had a wonderful canvas to start with, Princess." The golden-haired woman helped the princess up from the vanity seat and took off her robe. Sylvi held a dress from the long white box with a grin and Andromeda gasped.

It was a long white gown with one shoulder that shimmered in the light of the room. A sheer, shimmery cloth tied across the clothed shoulder and draped to the bust of the dress, hanging loosely. The white material of the dressed cinched at the waist, and hung loosely to the knees where it cinched once again. White crystals covered the skirt of the gown, shining brightly in the light and Andromeda shook her head at it's beauty.

"It's a gift," Sylvi smiled before adding, "From the Queen."

"It's beautiful." Andromeda shook her head, "I've never seen anything like it." Ragna and Sylvi smiled at each other, as they helped the princess put the gown on.

Ragna grinned before turning Andromeda away from the mirror. "Now close your eyes, Princess." Andromeda obeyed with a smile, and Ragna nodded to Sylvi, who inturn opened the smaller white box and took out a crown. Ragna placed the crown in the princess' hair, before turning her towards the mirror. "Alright…" Ragna said as Sylvi bit her lip in anticipation.

Andromeda opened her eyes let out a shuddery breath, her hand covering her mouth. "My gods…" The princess tilted her head from side to side in the mirror, inspecting the crown. It was a simple, thin, golden band wrapped around her head and sitting in her sculpted curls. The dress brought the whole look together and it almost made her cry for the third time that day. Andromeda turned around and wrapped her arms around the two servants, shocking them. "Thank you both so much."

Ragna and Sylvi looked to one another with wide smiles, and Andromeda grinned prettily as she pulled away from them. The princess giggled gleefully as she ran her hands along her dress, taking in the shimmer, the natural light of happiness had returned to her aura.

"Wait until they get a glance of me!" Andromeda smirked playfully, her eyebrow quirked up. Her hands trailed along her collarbone as she gazed at her reflection, only for her to pause when she did not feel her pendant.

Sylvi rushed into to action, opening a drawer in the vanity and taking out a necklace with a crystal pendant. Andromeda smiled gratefully as the brunette woman fastened it around her neck. "Thank you, Sylvi." The princess grinned as the pendant shimmered against the column of her throat.

An insistent knock sounded at the door and Ragna rushed to answer it. Andromeda paid it no mind, instead vainly continuing to examine herself in the mirror. As she looked up, eyes stared hardly into hers and she looked away bashfully.

"Enchanting."


	8. Midgardian Beauty

(A/N: Give me some stellar comments! Thank you guys that already have.)

Andromeda was silent as she was escorted to the Great Hall by Prince Loki. Her arms were wrapped around his, and she was not sure what to say. As beautiful as she looked, the prince made her feel like that little eight year old girl again.

"Nervous?" His silky voice brought her out of her thoughts, but Andromeda just shook her head, looking at him out the corner of her eye. He was dressed differently than his usual garbs, more formally. He was wearing black formal pants, and green cloth under his golden armor. An emerald cape flowed from his shoulders as fluttered as he walked. His head was adorned with a golden helm, horns coming from the golden helmet.

As they stopped in front of the double door, Thor was waiting for them with a huge grin. "You look radiant, Princess Andromeda."

Andromeda smiled prettily up at the prince, her eyes sweeping over him. The eldest prince was wearing the red, silver, and blue version of Loki's outfit, though his helm was adorned with two wings on the side. "You look very handsome yourself, Prince Thor. I am happy your earlier fall did not scar your face." The princess teased as she looped her arm with his.

Thor chuckled, his blue eyes gleaming at her. "It would take more than a small fall to stop a mighty Son of Odin."

"On the contrary brother." Loki smirked at his brother.

"Loki, do not-" Thor warned but was interrupted by his younger brother. "Have forgotten that you would not leave your room for a day and a half because you had tripped in battle?"

Andromeda looked to Thor, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "You tripped…?"

"Over a rock." Loki noted, basking in the glare his brother was sending his way.

"It was a boulder!" Thor insisted, staring hardly at his brother. He softened his voice when he looked to Andromeda, "It was a boulder."

A giggle escaped Andromeda's lips but she straightened her face. "I believe you," She nodded, eyes wide. "It was probably a very traumatic experience."

"It was." Thor grumbled as Andromeda and Loki chuckled together.

The doors to the hall began to open slowly, and the cheers from the crowd reached the trio. Andromeda looked up at Thor who was colored a pretty pink and frowning. "Oh golden-haired Prince of Asgard," The little princess patted his arm with her hand, "Smile, everyone came to see the two of you."

Thor looked down at the princess' fondly, a look not missed by his brother, before putting on a huge grin. Loki narrowed his eyes at his brother's gaze but placed a smile on his face. The bronze beauty at the center of the two princes beamed brightly as the trio walked into the Grand Hall with loud applause.

Andromeda's face seemed to glow as they made their way to the throne and she seemed to glide rather than walk. The faces of the Asgardian court were alit with excitement and admiration, though Andromeda would guess that the admiration was for their royals and not her. Still, she smiled at each and every face she saw, making a point to look into the subject's eyes.

The golden walls and floors of the Grand Hall shimmered and shined as they made their way down the middle aisle. With Andromeda's white gown, curled chignon, and golden crown, the ordeal reminded her of a wedding, like she was being given away to a husband. An occasion, she hoped, would be held back a little longer.

As she looked forward to the throne, King Odin was stiffed-faced watching the three of them, and Queen Frigga beamed proudly. The trio stopped at the stairs of the throne, the princes bowing to Andromeda as they took their places on the throne.

The bronze beauty stood tall, her shoulders down and her neck long with a gentle smile on her face. The subjects and the court had quieted down, and it was silent in the Hall as Andromeda dipped her head in respect, her hands folded in front of her. "Your highness." Her voice chimed through the room like bells, contrary to what the dark prince had said earlier.

"You may rise, child." Odin's voice boomed, filling the Hall. Andromeda obeyed the King and rose, though her eyes did not meet his out of respect. "Today we gather here to welcome Princess Andromeda of the Midgardian kingdom of Aethiopia to our home of Asgard." At the mention of the kingdom, the audience erupted with cheer, only to silence themselves when the Allfather raised his hand up. "In honor of Princess Andromeda's time here at the palace, we will eat, drink, and be merry! Go and revel in the feast that has been prepared!" With the permission of the King, everyone scurried over to the feasting table to fix themselves a plate and drink ale as music started to be played by a band. Again, the whole ordeal reminded Andromeda of a wedding.

After the actual feasting had ended, the festivities really begun as everyone started to socialize with one another, drink and dance. Princess Andromeda stood next to a tall pillar in the room as she was approached by many partygoers welcoming her to Asgard. Some were less than friendly, but Andromeda just chalked that up to her being mortal. Some were overly friendly, trying to chat her up and dance with her but the princess would decline with a smile and they would move on. The 'Hello, nice to meet you's and 'How do you do's were starting to wear on the princess, but she did not stop, after all, this is what Cosima had trained her to do at such a young age.

"Tired, Princess?" The woman from earlier, Sif, had walked up to the princess with a knowing smile. The warrior had switched her armor for a formal gown and she was holding a cup of ale in her hand.

"Extremely, and you can call me Andromeda, Lady Sif." The princess smiled politely as yet another man had kissed her knuckles in greeting.

"Well you can drop the 'Lady' as well, Andromeda." Sif smiled, before wrapping her arm around Andromeda's. "I'm going to steal her away for a moment, boys." The warrior winked, walking off with the princess.

"Oh thank gods you saved me, Sif." Andromeda grinned, before rolling her eyes. "I think my knuckles were starting to bruise from the kisses."

Sif laughed at the young royal and led her to another group of men whose laughter could be heard across the room. There were four men in the group, two of whom Andromeda knew. The other two men she did not recognize.

"Oh Lady Sif, you brought the sun!" The bearded, red-headed man from earlier exclaimed with a laugh, much to Thor's chagrin.

Andromeda laughed, placing her hand over her mouth. "It is nice to see you again as well, Sir Volstagg."

"Princess," Sif started, motioning to the other two men she had yet to meet, "These are the other two men that make up the Warriors Three, Hogun and Fandral."

"Nice to meet you." The dark-haired warrior, Hogun, nodded to the Princess.

The golden-haired warrior was much more direct, however. He took Andromeda's hand in his and bowed deeply, almost theatrically, and kissed it. "Princess Andromeda," He smirked standing tall, "I did not know Midgard had such beauty."

Sif rolled her eyes as the bronze princess raised a slender brow. "How kind of you to look past my realm to compliment my beauty." Andromeda replied in an even voice, yanking her hand from his. "I'm sure all of 'Midgard' is happy to know that Sir Fandral recognizes it's beauty at long last."

Fandral chuckled uneasily at the Princess' unnerving stare. "I was just try to compli-"

Andromeda held up her hand. "I know what you were trying to do." She placed a hand to her throat, "I am a bit parched, you will get me some ale won't you Sir Fandral?" She stared pointedly at him and the warrior nodded anxiously, his face red.

"Right away, Princess." He replied scurrying off.

Thor chuckled, watching his friend run off. "So you frighten everyone with your wit and not just me, eh Princess?"

Andromeda bubbled out a giggle and shook her head. "I just wanted to see him uneasy, I needed a laugh."

"Well you sure did give me one!" Sif said between her snickers, "Someone finally put him in his place!"

Andromed opened her mouth to rebuttal but Fandral came back with a chalice full of ale. "Hope I did not make you wait too long, your highness!" The blonde warrior exclaimed making Andromeda snicker.

"Thank you Sir Fandral, but I seem to not feel like drinking anymore. Prince Thor?" The princess looked to her blonde friend, "Would you care to dance with me?"

Thor grinned widely and nodded, offering his arm to the princess. "Of course!" The prince led her to the middle of the hall and they began to sway together. One of Andromeda's hands were in his and the other was on his shoulder, while one of his hands were on her waist.

"You are most unkind, Princess Andromeda!" He muttered to her, his blue eyes teasing.

The princess smiled gleefully. "I was just playfully antagonizing Sir Fandral. He is a brave warrior I am sure he can take it."

The prince smirked playfully, "Aye but not everyone is as strong as me, they cannot handle you, Princess."

"And you can?" Andromeda raised a brow.

"Of course!" Thor boasted, a smug grin on his lips.

The princess chuckled to herself, her brown eyes gleaming. "Are you positive, Son of Odin? I hear I am pretty difficult to get along with."

The song seemed to change speed, slowing to an eventual stop, making the couple stop moving. Andromeda stared up at Thor with her doe eyes, simultaneously charming and mocking the prince.

"I could handle you, Princess," The prince paused, a light shining in his blue eyes and a smug smirk on his lips. "Very well."

Andromeda hummed, "We'll see." With that she turned and walked away, only leaving the scent of roses after her.

Prince Thor stroked his beard a grin, his eyes watching her hips sway away in the white fabric. "Maybe three…"


	9. Snake

(A/N: Leave me reviews pretty people!)

The princess wandered around the Great Hall, smiling and chatting with partygoers. Settling against a wall, the bronze beauty began to speak to a handsome Asgardian warrior.

As she chatted with the warrior her amber eyes danced around the room, looking for a splash of emerald in the sea of gold. The princess frowned minusculy when she did not see her prince, her attention returning to the warrior.

His name was Gunner and his brunette hair was long and tied away from his face. He was wearing formal armor and his hazel eyes were bright. The warrior leaned over her with an arm against the wall, his bicep bulging. Andromeda smiled prettily at Gunner, batting her lashes. She wasn't really listening to what he said, but if she looked nice enough it wouldn't matter if she didn't reply. Suddenly, Gunner stopped talking and his eyes widened.

The princess furrowed her eyebrows as the warrior bowed, only to have her questions answered a moment later. Gunner straightened his posture before sputtering, "Prince Loki." The princess turned her head to see Asgard's youngest prince standing behind her.

The green-eyed trickster stared deep into her eyes as he waved a hand at the warrior, making the burly man all but run from them. Andromeda frowned as she turned fully before bowing her head mockingly. "Prince Loki." She addressed him formally, before stubbornly turning away.

"Princess." He nodded to the short woman with his eyes gleaming. The prince smirked as he studied the princess' furrowed brow and slight pout. It was obvious that she was trying not to look at him. Loki chuckled to himself, placing his arms behind his back. "How is your first Asgardian feast?" The dark prince inquired with a raised brow.

Andromeda's eyes danced to his face for a beat before returning to the ballroom floor. She crossed her arms, "It is fine." She replied curtly, her head held high.

"Oh little Andromeda," The prince nearly cooed, stepping closer to the bronze girl. He stood beside her and observed the sight of people dancing before them. "Are you upset with me?" He questioned, a light smile on his face.

"Do you care?" Andromeda retorted, scoffing. She quickly added in an even tone, "I would think the feelings of a mere mortal would not matter to the almighty God of Misconduct."

Loki lightly chuckled before correcting her, "Mischief, Princess."

The beauty rolled her eyes. "It could be misbehavior for all I care," The princess responded curtly before rushing to add, "Your highness."

The prince smiled before offering his arm to her. "Dance with me."

Andromeda rolled her eyes, uttering a "No."

Loki chuckled lowly, his teeth gleaming. "I insist." Fiery embers glared into green orbs as the princess resisted once more. With a roll of his eyes and a flick of his wrist Andromeda felt her spine straighten and found herself walking to the middle of the floor against her will. The sorcerer pulled her to him, one of his hands on her waist and the other clutching her's as he swayed with her.

"Snake!" Andromeda sneered, glaring at the prince as she regained control of her body.

The prince smirked at her and laughed at her anger. "Little girl, how you scar me." He teased, making Andromeda's eyes glare into his.

As they swayed, Loki's green eyes travelled to her neck then narrowed. Andromeda smirked at his realization but said nothing. The grip on her waist seemed to grow tighter and she felt the familiar cold of magic on her neck.

"My little princess." He muttered as the cold sensation disappeared.

Andromeda frowned, her eyes moving from his. "I am not yours anymore, Prince Loki. Nor am I little."

Their dance stopped and Prince Loki placed a hand under Andromeda's chin making her look up at him. "You'll always be mine, Andromeda." He whispered, his fingers trailing down to brush over the emerald at the column of her neck. His green eyes beamed into her's as he muttered, "Always."

The princess bit her lip as she tried to look for a sign of a lie in his eyes. Finding no cloud nor fallacy she simply frowned, the thought of her betrothed suddenly in her head. "What if," She breathed, her eyes suddenly sad, "I can't be?"

Loki stared at her in silence for a beat, his eyes flicking across her face. He let go off her and took a step back before clenching his jaw. He held a pale hand out to her without saying a word and Andromeda looked down at it for only a moment before placing her hand in his. The Great Hall seemed to blur around them as Andromeda kept her eyes on his and when the princess looked away from him, they were in his chambers.

"Now that we are alone," Loki started, his eyes focused on her face. "What do you mean, Princess?"

Andromeda bit her lip once more, her fingers brushing her dress nervously. "I cannot be yours." She muttered, walking around the room.

Loki rolled his eyes as she childishly avoided looking at him. "Why not?" He inquired slowly, walking over to the princess. Her head was turned, as she was examining his bookcase, and she did not see him next to her. "I am mortal." Andromeda replied simply, only to jump when she saw how close she was to him.

Prince Loki chuckled at the action, looking down his nose at the short woman. "There are…" He paused with a smirk, "Remedies for your ailment."

"Really?" Andromeda blinked in surprise, her face flushing as Loki twirled one of her curl that had come loose around his finger. "H-h-how?" She finished, sputtering.

"A potion that can only be made by Odin himself." The dark prince answered before frowning to himself. "Did I make you cry, little princess?" He asked suddenly, catching Andromeda off guard. One of his fingers trailed along her cheek as he awaited her answer.

She silently nodded her eyes downcast. "It's alright." The princess smiled half-heartedly, "They were not the first tears I have cried over you."

"Oh?" Loki's eyebrows raised. He lifted her face up once again, "They were not?"

Andromeda shook her head, sighing. She walked away from him then, walking to the wooden-posted bed in the middle of the room. Her hands ran along the dark, wooden pillars of the bed as she bit her lip. "I always thought," She paused, and furrowed her brows, "You'd come back." She said, barely above a whisper. "But when you didn't, I cried and cried. I cried so much my mother thought I had gone mad. And maybe I had…" The bronze woman shook her head, a humorless laugh coming from her lips. "To think that you'd-" She stopped herself and covered her mouth with her hand. The princess did not dare look back as she felt his presence behind her, nor did she turn around when she felt cold fingers trailing down her spine.

"I'd what?" She heard him purr behind her, his fingers now tracing the skin of her bare shoulder.

"You'd save me." Andromeda uttered and he tsked, running his hands down her arms.

"I did save you, silly little girl." He murmured, seemingly into the side of her neck.

"Not in that way." Andromeda breathed, nearly sighing as his lips brushed against her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered closed as she continued, "Not in the way I wanted…"

Loki hummed as he breathed in her scent of roses. "How did you want me…" He paused, smirking to himself as he kissed her neck, "To save you?"

Andromeda's eyes shot open as she was reminded of her engagement. She quickly pushed herself away from the prince with wide eyes. Catching her breath she blurted, "I'm betrothed."

Prince Loki's eyes narrowed as his eyes. "What?"

"I'm betrothed." She repeated, adding, "To my uncle."

The prince sneered, "How barbaric." He walked towards her once more but she back away.

"I can not," Andromeda sputtered, "Excuse me, I must leave Prince Loki." The prince said nothing in reply as he kept walking towards her, like a lion to a lamb. "This is very inappropriate and I apologize for not telling you soon-" Andromeda stopped once she her back hit a wall. "Gods forgive me." The princess muttered to herself, before continuing louder. "Everyone is probably waiting for us in the Hall and-" The princess paused once again as one of the prince's hands settled in her hair, pulling her head back, his other hand was on her waist.

In the quiet room, the only sound Andromeda could hear was her own breathing and heart beat, the latter seemed to be the louder of the two. As Loki pressed his lips to hers, Andromeda's body was consumed in a fiery heat. Her eyes fluttered closed as his tongue began to prod her mouth, licking at every crevice. Andromeda shyly tried to mimic his actions. The princess almost jumped when a hand rubbed at her backside.

Prince Loki pulled away from her with chuckle. "How endearing," He smirked mockingly, "You haven't been touched yet."

Andromeda frowned and furrowed her brows, her face flushing embarrassingly. Her chest was heaving from the kiss and her cheeks seemed to be tinted red, along with her lips. "Well sorry I am not as experienced as you, my prince." She rolled her eyes in a huff.

The dark prince chuckled once more rubbing her hips through her dress. "I am just teasing little princess, forgive me."

The princess' face flushed even more as Loki kneeled in front of her. "What are you doing?!" She exclaimed as his hands went under her white dress. He shushed her as his fingers trailed up her legs. "Don't tell me to be-oh!" Andromeda gasped as his fingers groped her most intimate place. Her hands clamped down on his shoulders as her mouth fell open. Loki smirked up at her as his fingers brushed against the princess' clitoris.

Andromeda's head flung back to the wall as Loki entered a finger into her. The new sensation was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. The woman could feel herself bucking into Loki's finger but she felt like she had no control of her body.

Loki stood, not ceasing in his actions, and watched the princess' face consumed in complete ecstasy. He leaned forward and buried his head in her neck, breathing in her scent. She felt so wet and tight around his fingers and her wetness dripped down her legs as he added another finger to her heat. As he nuzzled into her neck, the princess let out a whimper, making the prince's jaw clench. His erection seemed to throb at the sound of his little Andromeda's pleasure.

A strange feeling began to bubble in Andromeda's lower abdomen. Every muscle in her body began to tighten and her vision start to fade. "Loki…!" She muttered, her nails burying in his shoulders.

The dark prince smirked at the feeling of her cubt tightening around his fingers. "That's it Andromeda," He purred into her ear, "Cum for your prince."

With a final rub of her clitoris and an arch of his fingers, Andromeda had her first orgasm. Overwhelmed tears ran down her cheeks and her whole body shook, almost violently. A cry left her bruised lips as Loki nipped at her jaw.

As Andromeda caught her breath, her eyes remained closed, embarrassed of her behavior. When her eyes slowly blinked open, green orbs were burning holes into her. Loki stared at her as he lifted his fingers to his lips and sucked her off of them. Andromeda gasped at the lewd gesture only to be silenced a beat later by the prince's lips. He forced his tongue into her mouth once again, making her taste herself. The princess was disgusted but slightly aroused by the kiss as her arms went around her prince's neck. She was pressed to the wall once more by the prince, though this time she could feel his arousal pressed against her.

Andromeda panicked, for the prince was very well endowed. Pulling away from the kiss and pushing him away, Andromeda all but ran from Loki. At the door the princess turned around to face Loki, only to see him watching her amusedly. She cleared her throat and smoothed down her dress before bowing her head. "Goodnight." She muttered leaving his chambers.


	10. Advice from the Queen

(A/N: I've read your reviews and hear you guys. I'll scale it back a bit, but please note that this story is going to be looooonooong. I'm talking through Thor, Avengers and Thor: TDW. So please be mindful of that.)

The next morning Andromeda was awoken by Ragna. The brunette princess groaned as the sunlight streamed into the room.

"Good Morning Princess." Ragna's voice chimed as she pulled the comforter from Andromeda's face. "Your presence is requested by the Queen for breakfast."

Andromeda sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes. Her mouth widened in a yawn as she slipped out of bed. "Alright Ragna, help me wake up."

Ragna chuckled at the young princess and lead her to the bathroom. The blonde servant poured hot water into the tub and stripped Andromeda of her clothes. The princess sat in the tub and let Ragna bathe her, her eyes slightly closed.

"Ragna," Andromeda started sleepily. "Where is Sylvi?"

"She is sick this morning, your highness." Ragna informed her, washing the princess' curly tresses.

"Oh!" Andromeda gasped, "Send my regards to her. Maybe a bouquet of flowers…" The princess thought out loud.

"I am sure she will appreciate that Princess." Ragna said, standing the bronze girl up. She dried the princess off and led her back to the bedroom.

The blonde servant dressed the princess in a white, flowy gown with wide-mouthed sleeves then sat her at the vanity. Ragna braided her hair in a single braid before wrapping it in a bun at the top of her head. She placed the golden crown on her head, before taking notice of the emerald necklace on her neck.

"You found your necklace?" Ragna implored and Andromeda's sleepy eyes snapped open.

The princess looked at herself in the mirror with wide eyes as the events of the night prior flooded through her mind. Prince Loki had touched her in a way that she had never been touched before. The young woman licked her lips as she remembered the feeling of his lips on hers, the feeling of his hands on her. The sensation was world altering and Andromeda had the sudden urge to feel it again.

"I suppose so." She finally answered lowly, her face hot.

Ragna raised an eyebrow but said nothing, instead nodding. A knock at the door alerted them that the princess' escort had arrived. Andromeda rose from the vanity and said goodbye to her servant before being led to the queen's chambers. The guard opened the door for Andromeda and the princess gasped at the sight of a garden. Millions of flowers, bushes and trees surrounded a white gazebo where a table was set up. A servant was playing a harp in the corner while two other servants were serving the queen.

Andromeda walked up the stairs of the gazebo, bowing when she reached the top.

"You may rise, Princess." Frigga's friendly voice chimed, "Please sit." The princess sat in front of the queen and was immediately served. A servant fixed a plate of fruit for her and poured her a glass of juice. "How have you been enjoying your stay?" The queen asked the bronze girl with a smile.

"It has been wonderful Queen Frigga." Andromeda replied as she ate a grape.

"Everything has been to your liking?" Frigga implored and the princess nodded her head in reply. "I trust you have been getting along with everyone?"

"Yes, your majesty." Andromeda repeated, taking a sip of her juice.

Frigga raised her wine glass to her lips as her voice chimed, "Especially my sons?"

The princess choked on her juice and cleared her throat. "Pardon me?" She stuttered, her cheeks rosy.

"You've made quite the impression. Thor won't stop raving about you," Frigga smiled, her eyes alit with amusement. "Though it seems you have your eye on my other son."

Andromeda averted her eyes from the queen, suddenly embarrassed. The queen reached a hand over the table and clutched the princess' bronzed hand. "It is alright. I do not object to the union, though I have to ask; Why my Loki?"

Andromeda bit her lip and looked into the queen's green eyes. "I've loved him ever since I was a child." The princess admitted, her other hand going to her necklace. The queen's eyes followed her fingers and she smiled softly. "Even as a child I felt there was something about him...something different. He was so kind to me and I thought he was the most beautiful being I had ever seen."

"Did he give you that necklace?" Frigga inquired and Andromeda nodded in reply.

"The night he left Aethiopia, I was so hurt. At my young age I thought he was leaving because of something I did." She said, chuckling softly. "He told me not to be sad and that we would meet again, then he made this necklace appear in my hand. The last words he said were 'See you soon my little princess'."

The look on Frigga's face could only be described as a proud mother. The reddish-blonde woman put her hand over her heart. "How sweet. Most people think my son is closed off and quiet, but he seemed to have opened up to when you were a child. Tell me," Frigga started, leaning closer to the girl. "How does he act towards you now?"

Andromeda licked her lips, "It depends. Sometimes he is sweet, but other times…" The princess trailed off.

Frigga nodded in understanding, her face sympathetic. "Loki is not good with expressing his feelings. When he treats you cruelly, remember that he is just trying to mask his feelings for you." The mother explained expertly. "Now, to my other son. How do you feel about Thor?"

The bronze woman laughed lowly, shaking her head. "Prince Thor is," she paused with a grin, "Amusing to say the least."

The queen raised an eyebrow, "Oh? How so?"

"He is very...brash and obvious about his affection towards me. Though," Andromeda stopped herself.

"You may speak freely, dear." Frigga assured her.

"I often wonder whether his affections are pure in intention." Andromeda slowly stated, biting her lip afterwards.

"I see." The queen nodded, "Well you certainly are keeping him on his toes, Princess. He's even come to me asking for ways to impress you."

Andromeda hid her smirk behind her glass. Clearing her throat, she muttered, "I like flowers."

Frigga smirked at the young girl, "Though I do not support the act of leading my sons on as a mother, I do respect having two men fawn over you as a woman." The queen subtly leaned forward, her voice low, "What kind of flowers?"

After the nice breakfast and chat with Queen Frigga, Andromeda walked through the halls of the palace. She politely greeted the servants and guards, smiling prettily. As she made her way through the halls, her dress fluttered around her majestically, making the princess look even more regal.

As she came to the large doors of the library, she paused, her face becoming warm. Biting her lip, she opened the large door and slipped in quietly. She slowly made her way through aisles of books until she was met with the sight of a dark-haired prince sitting at a desk.

Andromeda's hips swayed as she walked up to the desk, taking a seat on the side of it. "Have you not read all of the scripts in the room?" She quipped a slight smirk on her lips.

The prince did not look up at her, instead continuing to scribble down notes with a quill. "Knowledge is infinite, Andromeda. Though I wouldn't expect you to understand." He finished with a smirk.

Andromeda furrowed her brows for a moment before muttering incredulously. "Did you just call me dim?"

Loki chuckled lowly, "Compared to a God…" He trailed off as he looked up at Andromeda. His eyes darted over her outfit and the princess blinked in confusion.

"What?" She asked as she crossed her arms, waiting for another insult.

The prince cleared his throat and returned his attention to his text. The silver-tongued god expertly changed the subject. "How was your breakfast with mother?"

"Fine." Andromeda chimed, playing with the ends of her sleeves. "Very informative."

"Oh?" Loki raised a dark brow. "How so?"

"I cannot tell you that." The princess purred with a wink. "It's a womanly secret."

Loki chuckled again and leaned back in his chair, giving up on studying. He looked at the bronze beauty through his lashes and smirked. "I have ways of making you speak, Princess."

Andromeda's face flushed and her eyelashes fluttered. Loki laughed at her expression and she narrowed her eyes in anger. "That is not funny!" The beauty pouted, crossing her arms.

Loki got his laughter under control and stood from his chair, a sincere expression coming over his face. He put a hand over his heart. "I apologize for teasing you, Andromeda." Andromeda turned her head away from him stubbornly. "Oh little girl do not be sore." The prince insisted, using a finger to turn her face towards him. "You are just so easy to rile up."

Andromeda's firey ember eyes lit up suddenly and a smirk came over her face. "It is alright," She started, standing from the desk and walking around the prince. "Your mother told me this would happen…" The beauty trailed off with her back to Loki as she walked away from him.

"My mother…?" He muttered to himself before following after her. "What did mother say about me?" The princess didn't reply instead calming walking further away from him. "Andromeda?" He called after her. "Little girl turn around and face your prince this instant!"

Andromeda stopped at the door and glanced over her shoulder at the prince, her amber eyes meeting his glaring greens. "You are not my prince." She remarked with a smirk as she closed the door behind her.

Loki clenched his jaw and flared at the door before his face melted into a smirk. He calmly walked back to his desk and took a seat, opening his text. "We shall see about that, little girl."


	11. Son

(A/N: Thank you guys for your comments!)

Andromeda stretched her arms high above her head as she made her way through the palace halls. She had spent most of her morning teasing Thor as he trained and laughing with Sif. The golden prince had made her leave so he could 'concentrate', whatever that meant, so she was now trying to find something interesting to do.

The Asgardian sun was high in the sky as the princess found her way to the royal stables. The stable hands bowed to her respectfully as she examined the horses. The royal family had many horses, more than she had back home, and they were all different colors. The princess spotted the horse she had rode in on and grinned, petting it's head.

"Hello," She cooed, as the horse neighed, "Do you remember me?" The horse nodded it's head, seemingly answering her question and she laughed. As she bonded with the horse, a loud thump and shouting sounded from outside the stable.

The princess picked up her dress in her hands and shuffled over to the noise. She peeked out the stables and saw the handlers struggling with a huge black horse. The horse was bucking against it's reigns, neighing angrily and Andromeda's eyes widened when she saw eight legs kicking from under the horse.

"My gods!" She exclaimed, and the handlers turned to her.

"Go back into the stables, Princess! It is not safe!" A handler called to her and the princess obeyed, running back into the stables. She stood by her horse, watching worriedly as the handlers led the black horse back into the stable. As they locked the door behind the horse, they hurriedly walked out of the wood structure, muttering about how they would not feed the horse until it cooperated.

Andromeda, never to falter in the face of 'danger', slowly walked towards the huffing horse, her hands up in front of her. The black horse glared at her, it's dark green eyes squinted, but it did not faze the princess.

"What is the matter?" Andromeda cooed lowly and the horse huffed out a breath backing away from her as she came closer. The princess frowned, crossing her arms. She did not feel foolish talking to a horse, for her love of animals had been with her since she was a child. It was part of the reason she had rushed to Loki's side as he laid in the plains; she only wanted to help, what she thought was, an injured animal. "Now don't get all huffy with me!" She glared right back, before shaking her head. "I am just trying to help you. You will not get food until you calm down noble steed of noir."

The horse just stubbornly huffed again, it's long legs stomping on the hay covered grown. "You are making this hard for yourself! A horse as pretty as you should not be this mean." Andromeda muttered softly, trying to beckon the horse to her. Her soft eyes blinked up at the horse as she held her hand out to him. The horse slowly walked towards her hand and nudged it with his muzzle. "That's a good boy. You're not so mean, are you?" The princess cooed, lightly stroking the horse's head. "I've never seen a horse like you before, you must be exclusive to Asgard, huh?"

As the beauty soothed the horse, the stable hands came back into the stables with a bucket of fruit. When they saw the horse being gentle with the princess, they gasped. One of the field hands walked up to the duo and the horse stepped back from them, his green eyes hardening into a glare.

"Just drop the bucket," The princess whispered, "I'll feed...what is his name?"

"Sleipnir, Princess Andromeda." The servant bowed, before casting a wary glance to the horse. "Excuse me, milady. But are you positive you do not want us to stay, he is dangerous…"

Andromeda waved away the field hand. "It'll be fine." She said dismissively. The field hands looked to each other nervously before walking out of the stables. "Okay," She cooed, grabbing a fruit from the bucket. "They are gone now, Sleipnir." She offered the steed the fruit and he walked up to her slowly, before taking a bite. The princess hummed a tune to keep the horse calm as she fed him, stroking him softly.

"Isn't this a sight to behold." A voice smooth as flowing water sounded from the opening of the stables. Andromeda looked over her shoulder, her face flushing when she saw that it was just the youngest prince of Asgard.

"You've come to bother me once again?" The princess quipped, picking up another fruit.

Loki chuckled, walking to her. "You know it's funny," He grinned, "I did not complain when you bothered me as a child." He stood next to her and petted Sleipnir on the head.

"Because I was an adorable child." Andromeda retorted with a teasing smile as she watched how Sleipnir nuzzled into Loki's hand.

"Oh?" He raised his dark brows, "Is that what they call it?"

Andromeda giggled, looking from Sleipnir to Loki before furrowing her brows. The green eyes staring down at her seemed to be mirrored in the horses. The princess looked from Loki to the horse, before laughing. "It's odd." She said, smiling, "It seems you both have the same eyes."

Loki raised his dark brows, his green eyes alit in amusement. "Do we?" He asked, a smirk on his face.

The bronze beauty sized the prince up suspiciously, her brows furrowed, wondering what trick the prince was playing. She nodded her head and feed the creature another fruit.

"He seems to like you Andromeda." The dark prince stated, watching the princess interact with the animal. "He doesn't like many people."

"That's because they're too rough with him." Andromeda stated, lightly petting the horse's head. "He just needs a gentle touch, isn't that right Sleipnir?" She cooed to the horse and it neighed in reply. "He's not bad, he's just different." The young woman remarked with a smile.

Loki nodded, seemingly in thought. He watched her for a moment more before opening his mouth to speak. "I-"

"Ah Brother!" Thor's booming voice interrupted the younger Odinson. The tall blonde's footsteps were heavy as he made his way into the stables. Spotting the bronze princess, his grin widened. "Princess Andromeda! It is nice to see you are mocking someone else on this fine day."

Sleipnir seemed to neigh and shake head at the older prince. Andromeda laughed at the horse's reaction and lightly patted it's head. "Prince Thor! I am joyful to see you made it out of your training in one piece." The princess jested, a teasing smirk on her full lips.

"Of course! A warrior as mighty as I-" Thor boasted as Loki rolled his eyes.

"Was there something you needed brother?" The dark prince interjected in a scathing tone, unamused by his brother's attempts at flirting.

Thor smirked at his brother, "I was just looking to speak with your brother. We never talk anymore."

"We spoke last night." Loki replied dryly, eyeing his brother warily.

Thor raised his hands in a mock surrender. "I understand, you are busy." The prince started before cutting his eyes towards Andromeda. He continued with a grin, "It's not very often you get to visit your son."

If Loki could have murdered Thor with a look, the elder Odinson would be dead. Andromeda's head snapped up and she looked between the two brother's confusedly. Thor had a triumphant expression in his face while Loki's green eyes had fire in them.

"Son?" She implored, looking to Loki. "You have a child?"

Before Loki could respond to get Thor interjected, "Aye! He does!"

The princess furrowed her brows, looking around the stable. "Then where is…" She trailed off, stopping herself as she met Sleipnir's eyes. She looked at the horse, then looked at Loki, repeating the actions twice. "My gods…"

Laughter began to bubble in Thor's throat as he watched Andromeda's face slowly turned into disgust.

"Andromeda," Loki started but the princess shook her head. "How?!" She exclaimed, "Why?"

"It was a very complicated process…"

Andromeda shook her head and shoved the bucket of fruit into Loki's hands before marching away from the two brother.

"Are you mad?" Loki nearly screamed at his brother who was turning red with laughter.

"All is fair in love and war, brother." Thor stammered out, a wide grin on his face. "I will win her heart."

"Ha." The dark prince sneered, "She would never choose you. She has loved me since she was a babe."

"That may be true brother, but I will triumph in the end." Thor swore a fist to his chest. "She will marry me and become my beautiful queen."

Loki rolled his eyes, a sly smirk on his face. "Your delusions amuse me brother. Do you honestly think she could love you?"

"It is hard to say no to a prince offering you a kingdom." Thor replied matter of factly with a smug grin.

"That shows how much you know about the princess and furthers my confidence of you never being able to claim her." Loki stepped closer to his brother, a glare in his eyes. "Andromeda is mine and I am willing to do everything in my power to keep it that way."

The golden prince raised a questioning eyebrow. "Is that a threat brother?"

"Interpret it as you may." The young prince's tongue lashed as he stormed after the princess.

Princess Andromeda ran a hand through curls, which were freely flowing down her back for once, as the Asgardian sunlight beamed down on her brown skin. The birds were singing a pretty tune as they flew over her head, and the flowers of the royal garden seemed to perk up as she strolled past them. Her white dress swished around her with every step and she looked like she was going spread her wings and fly away.

She had come to the garden after she stormed away from the stables. The pretty scenery and smells of the garden calmed her and it was quickly become her safe place.

The bronze girl was confused and disgusted, but mostly confused. She was not aware that her prince had a child, let alone the child was a horse! It seemed like something out of a fable.

The princess stopped and knelt down to smell a particularly pretty flower and footsteps approached in that moment. Andromeda's amber eyes flickered to the black boots standing beside her. "Shouldn't you be with your son?" She remarked, not looking up from the plant.

"I did not intend for you to find out that way, Andromeda."

Andromeda stood tall and glared up at the prince, her embers alit with anger. "Then you should have told me before Thor could!" She snapped before she could catch herself. She took a deep breath and scanned the prince's face. The bronze girl cleared her throat, "It is not that your child is a horse, which is a shock in itself…" She paused and Loki took that moment to began to explain. Andromeda held a silencing hand up. "It is the fact that you did not tell me. Did you not think me important enough?"

Loki let out an exasperated breath and rushed to answer her question. "No, that is not the reason at-" The prince paused and took a deep breath, slowing his words down. "I was going to tell you."

Andromeda pursed her lips and searched Loki's green eyes. She let out a sigh and looked away from the prince. "You are not lying." The princess acquiesced, biting her lip.

The prince's dark brow quirked up and his eyes squinted, "How can you be so sure?"

The bronze beauty turned back to him, "Well are you?" She asked, fighting a smile.

"I could be." Loki quipped with a smirk. He folded his hands behind his back and looked down at the princess. "What if I were?"

Andromeda matched the prince's smirk and glanced at him through her lashes. She took a step closer to the tall man and put her dainty hand on his chest, gazing into his eyes. "Well then," The princess breathed, her teeth gleaming. "You'd be a fool." Andromeda finished, her smile dropping. She walked around the prince and swayed away from him, a scowl on her pretty face.


	12. Flowers and a Lie

Andromeda sat on her bedroom balcony overlooking the kingdom of Asgard. The sun was high in the sky and the kingdom glowed with happiness and fortune. As the princess ran a brush through her curly hair, she thought about the month that she had spent in this beautiful world. She had made new friends, was adored by a kingdom that wasn't her own, and had reunited with a childhood love. Andromeda was very happy in Asgard and she could see herself living there for the rest of her mortal life.

A knock sounded inside and Andromeda got up and walked into her room. She put her hair brush down on her vanity before answering the door. It was a servant carrying a handful of flowers.

"Princess Andromeda." The servant nodded to her, "Where would you like me to set these?"

"The dresser is fine." The princess replied with furrowed brows. "Who are those-" She was interrupted by another servant with more flowers.

"Where would you like these, princess?" The other servant asked and before Andromeda could answer more servants came pouring into her room. When all was said and done, Andromeda's room was covered head to toe in exotic, white and gold flowers. It smelt heavenly, but the princess was very confused.

Andromeda sat at her vanity and resumed brushing her hair. She gazed at herself in the mirror with furrowed brows. Who had sent her the flowers? Was it Loki? Was he trying to say sorry for not being truthful to her? The princess bit her lip as she braided her curls into a single plait, going down her back. She placed a single white flower in her hair and got up from the vanity, leaving the room.

Her beige gown flowed behind her as she slowly made her way to the library. Her sweet scent wafted through the hallway and she smiled at everyone she saw. The word around the kingdom was that Andromeda was to wed one of the princes and that is why she was given asylum in the palace. There was also talk that the young princess was to be made a goddess by Odin himself. Though the rumors was false, it did not stop the Asgardian citizens from raving about how beautiful a queen and goddess the bronze mortal would be.

Andromeda arrived at the library and pushed the big door open. She went her usual route to the back of the library, but the dark prince was not seated at a desk. The princess pouted and turned around, looking through each shelf of the royal bibliotech.

"Can I help you, little one?" A melodic voice called from behind her and Andromeda whirled around, her dress twirling with her.

The princess smiled hugely, happy to see the prince, and walked up to him. She got on the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, causing the dark prince to freeze. "Oh I forgive you!" She breathed out, her eyes closed.

For the first time in a long time, Loki was confused. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around the petite girl's waist, trying to think of what he did to receive such an embrace. He doesn't recall apologizing to the girl, though he had thought about it a few times, and he doesn't recall sending her any gifts. The trickster figured he should just go along with it, after all, anything that could make Andromeda press her body to his couldn't be that bad.

Loki tightened his hold on the princess, taking a whiff of her hair. She smelt heavenly, like she had escaped from Valhalla and floated down just for him. Thoughts of the night of her welcoming feast flooded into his head but he quickly ushered them out, not wanting to excite himself. As Loki began to close his eyes and melt into Andromeda's arms, the princess pulled away.

Andromeda looked up at Loki with a wide grin, her arms still around his neck and his around her waist. "Oh Prince Loki you shouldn't have!"

A charming smile found it's way onto the prince's lips as he watched the princess' face beam. "Anything for you Andromeda."

The princess giggled, her brown face a lit with joy. "But so many? What am I supposed to do with all of them?"

"Ah, that is for you to decide, little princess." Loki smoothly replied, bringing the princess closer to him.

Andromeda's smile grew wider and she stood on the tips of her tips of her toes, quickly pressing her lips to the dark prince's in a chaste kiss. She pulled back and stepped away from the embrace, and looked down at her feet.

Looking at the bronze beauty with wide eyes, Loki quickly got over his surprise and chuckled lowly. He took a step closer to Andromeda and placed two pale fingers under her chin, tilting her face up towards him. He searched her sapling eyes for a moment before leaning down and kissing her full lips properly. The prince ended the kiss but did not move away from Andromeda, instead watching her face as her eyes fluttered open.

The princess' soft, bronze hand reach up and cupped Loki's cheek and his pale hand covered hers. She stood on the tips of her toes once more and kissed her paramour more confidently. The prince groaned against her and lightly pushed Andromeda back into a bookshelf. The young girl gasped as her back hit the shelf and Loki used the opportunity to slide his tongue in her mouth. Andromeda fisted her hands in Loki's cloak and moaned as his pink appendage probed her mouth, licking at every crevice.

The dark prince pulled back, nibbling on Andromeda's full bottom lip before pressing open-mouthed kisses along her jaw. The beauty under him began to whimper lightly in his ear when he got to the junction of her neck and her shoulder, and he smirked to himself before flicking his tongue against her skin. Loki's hand travelled to Andromeda's hair and lightly pulled her head to the side, exposing more of her neck to him. He sucked hard on her soft, supple skin, no doubt leaving a bruise.

Loki pulled away from the young woman and kneeled in front of her, making Andromeda look down at him with wide eyes. The prince marveled at the sight of the princess; she already looked completely ravished, even though he had yet to touch her. His pale hands ran up her copper legs before picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist.

Andromeda's hands quickly went around the prince's neck as her beige dress rode up to her thighs. She moaned at the feeling of his palms on the bare skin of her legs. She could feel his member pressing against her as he nuzzled his nose against hers.

Loki groaned, pressing himself closer to Andromeda. He ran his hands up her supple thighs. "I am going to take you against this shelf, little princess." He hissed through clenched teeth as he continued to pepper kisses against her neck.

Andromeda whimpered in response, whispering out an affirmative, before realizing what she was doing. "Wait." She muttered, but the prince just hummed against her neck. "We mustn't. I do not want my purity to be broken against a bookshelf in a library."

Loki grumbled, but did not stop his assault on her skin, moving to the smooth indent of her collarbone. "Why not, little girl?" His voice slithered out, slick with lust. "I will be gentle." He assured, nibbling on her skin.

Andromeda's breath hitched as she felt his hardness rub against her clothed center. She bit her lip and contemplated the thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, my prince. My virtue is worth more than dozens of flowers."

The prince chortled against her, his large hands grasping at her thighs. "Flowers?" He muttered, pausing to nuzzle his nose against her skin. "What are you talking about, you daft girl?"

Andromeda froze and furrowed her brows. She let go of the prince's neck and brought his face away from her neck to look in his green eyes. The sapling browns of her eyes turned into fiery embers as she began to glare at the prince. "You liar." The princess muttered, before raising her voice. "Put me down."

Loki rolled his eyes, "Andromeda do not be so dramatic." The princess narrowed her eyes and beat her little fists on his chest. He, of course, could hardly feel the blows but he acquiesced and put the bronze girl down.

"I should have known you were lying!" Andromeda's voice began to raise with every word. "You always lie! To everyone! And why? So you could bed me like all the other girls? You make me sick." She finished, pushing the prince away from her.

Loki narrowed his eyes and grabbed Andromeda's wrists, clutching them in his hands. "Watch your mouth, little girl. I am still a prince of Asgard." He spat at her, though Andromeda did not back down.

"You take your hands off me at once!" The bronze princess demanded, yanking her hands away from him. Andromeda's eyes began to water, though it was of sheer frustration not sadness. "I would expect this of Thor," She sneered and at the mention of his brother, Loki's glare intensified, "But not of you." Andromeda looked down and whispered, "Never of you." She took the flower out of her hair and threw at his feet before gathering her gown in her hands and running out of the library.

Andromeda ran through the halls of the palace, tears streaming down her cheeks. She did not know where she was running to, but she did know what she was running away from. The princess' escape was interrupted by her bumping into someone.

The person's hands steadied the petite woman before she could fall. "Princess Andromeda!" Thor's voice boomed out as he looked down at the princess with his usual grin. His smile fell when he caught a glimpse of the tears flowing down her cheeks. He cupped her cheek and furrowed his brows, "What is the matter?"

Andromeda swallowed thickly before stepping away from the oldest prince of Asgard and wiping her face. "Nothing." She muttered, her voice thick with emotion. "I am fine, Prince Thor."

Thor shook his head and took another step towards Andromeda. He cupped her cheek once more and lifted her face upward so he could glance at it. His clear, blue eyes danced across the princess' face with a frown, before his lips spread into a small smile. "I know that is not true, Princess. Your face does not shine as bright as it usually does on this day."

Andromeda bit her lip as tears began to well up in her eyes once more. "I do not want to talk about it." She uttered, her nose scrunching as she sniffled.

Thor frowned and leaned down, his face right in front of the princess'. "I will personally kill and skin whomever has caused the tears in your beautiful eyes and bring you their hide to make into a gown, Princess Andromeda." The golden prince promised, his eyes searching hers.

The princess supposed the promise of violence was supposed to make her feel better, so she tried to smile at the buff prince. "Thank you, Prince Thor."

The golden prince beamed at her and nodded, standing tall once again. He cupped Andromeda's face in his hands and gently swiped the pads of his thumbs under her eyes, wiping her tears. He then offered her his arm, "Come with me princess. I will cheer you up."

Andromeda managed a small smile and wrapped her arm around the prince's bicep, letting him lead her. "Where are we going?" She asked in a small voice, and Thor grinned.

"You will see, little one." Thor told her, patting her hand on his arm. "You will enjoy it, I promise." The two seemed to walk through endless hallways of the palace for a long period of time before reaching gigantic double doors. Thor turned to Andromeda with a teasing smile. "Close your eyes."

The princess furrowed her brows but did what she was told, closing her eyes tightly. Andromeda heard the sound of the door opening before mighty hands fell onto her shoulders. Thor lead the princess forward a few paces before stopping her and Andromeda felt his hands lift off of her shoulders. "Open your eyes." The prince whispered into her ear and Andromeda's eyes fluttered open.

The bronze beauty was blinded by a vision of white and gold. She was in a garden, though it was not the royal garden she was used to visiting. A smile began to spread over her lips and she took steps forward, brushing her fingers over the petals of the flowers. They were the exact same flowers that she had received earlier that day, but they seemed to be more beautiful growing outside in the garden.

Andromeda turned her head to glance at Thor, who was already watching her with a grin on his face. "You sent me those flowers." She declared aloud, a small smile playing on her lips.

The golden prince smirked and raised his hands in surrender. "Aye, it was me."

Andromeda bit her lip to stop her smile from growing, and began to fiddle with her hands instead. "Why?" She inquired softly, looking up at the prince through her lashes.

Thor's smirk dropped and he began to babble, "You enjoy flowers, do you not? You are always in the garden and mother told me that…"

"I do!" Andromeda interrupted Thor's prattling, putting a bronzed hand on his bicep. "I do like flowers." She continued softly. "Thank you, Prince Thor."

The golden prince's grin returned to his face and he covered Andromeda's hand with his own. "Please princess," He started, beaming down at her, "Call me Thor."

Andromeda smiled back at the prince and nodded, adding, "Then you shall refer to me as Andromeda." The two stood in the garden, surrounded by white and gold, staring at each other in complete silence. Thor's hand left Andromeda's and cupped her cheek once more, his thumb brushing over it lightly.

"What?" The princess asked with furrowed brows as the heir to the throne began to chuckle softly.

Thor shook his head with a grin before his eyes danced over her face again. "Your glow has returned," He paused, licking his lips, "Andromeda."


	13. Decisions

Princess Andromeda hummed to herself as she made her way to the stables. Carrying a basket full of fruit with her curls loose and flowing behind her, the princess looked like a pretty portrait. Her footsteps echoed through the hallway of the palace, though they were a far cry from the sound of hooves they were compared to by a certain prince.

Andromeda opened up the door leading out into one of the castle's many fields. Her fingers brushed against the high grass as she made her way to the stable, smiling at the field hands.

"Good morning Princess Andromeda." They both greeted the beauty, bowing their heads in respect.

The princess nodded in response and walked to the horse she had rode in on. "Hello pretty thing." She cooed, holding up a fruit for the animal to eat. The horse neighed in response and nuzzled into her hand, making the princess smile. She offered the horse another piece of fruit, pausing when she heard a harsh neigh to the side of her.

Andromeda looked to her right to see Sleipnir's green eyes glaring at the horse. The princess chuckled, "Now Sleipnir, there is no need to be jealous. I have come to feed you also, noble steed of noir." She sauntered over to the jealous animal and stroked its head, cooing. She held up a fruit for the steed to eat but he moved his head away from her stubbornly.

The beauty clicked her teeth, placing a hand on her hip. "You stubborn little boy. You would rather starve than have me feed someone before you?" Andromeda tsked, "Just like your father."

Sleipnir huffed and faced the princess, his green eyes glaring into hers. "Stop this nonsense and eat." Andromeda demanded, her eyes narrowed. She offered fruit to the steed once more though he still refused to eat. "I will not beg you to eat, Sleipnir. You will starve in your arrogance; is that what you want?" The steed looked away from the beauty, huffing once more.

"Sleipnir." A stern voice rang out from the opening of the stables. The steed froze and looked toward the direction of the voice. Light footsteps approached them and paternal green eyes looked into their son's. Loki turned to the princess, "What is the matter?"

Andromeda pursed her lips at his presence but replied frustratedly, "Your son," She snapped, her eyes going for the son to his father, "Will not eat."

The prince looked from Andromeda to his son, his eyes narrowing. "Sleipnir, what is the meaning of this?" The horse huffed, it's long legs stomping on the ground. The steed then shook his head, not looking at the two.

"Oh?" Andromeda chimed, raising a slender brow. "You are not going to answer your father?" The young woman waited for a reply, when she didn't get one she turned to the horse's parent. "Your son is angry because I fed another horse before him. So now in his arrogance he is willing to starve. Though I am not surprised," The princess paused, looking away and muttering, "With what lineage he belongs to."

"Andromeda…" Loki sighed out, rubbing his temples. The prince decided to to tackle one problem at a time. He took the basket from the princess and held up a fruit to his son, the steed taking a bite of it eagerly. "If Andromeda gives you an order," He looked his son in the eye, "You obey it." The steed seemed to nod, neighing in Andromeda's direction.

"I forgive you, child." The beauty smiled, patting the horse on the head. She then cooed, "I can not stay mad at you, my pretty steed." Sleipnir nuzzled into her hand and she smiled prettily, cooing at the beautiful horse.

Loki said nothing as he fed his son, though his eyes watched the princess interact with his child fondly. She had yet to forgive him for lying and until the moment before, she had not spoken to him since. Every time he would come into a room, she would either leave or hang on to his brother to spite him. Yet even in her anger, she would come and feed Sleipnir; the princess was a jewel.

When the basket was empty, Andromeda bid her surrogate child farewell, placing a kiss on the top of his head. The princess then hurried out of the stables, trying to avoid her child's father.

The dark prince swore under his breath, receiving a chastising look from his son. "I know, I know." He muttered, going after the princess. "Andromeda." He called, trying to catch up with the angered princess.

"No." Andromeda replied with a frown. She made her way through the castle's field, going in between trees to get away from Loki.

"Please, listen to me." The trickster pleaded, reaching for Andromeda's dress and pulling her towards him. He put his hands on her bare upper arms and she glared at him. "Please?" He begged, his eyes soft.

"What could you possibly have to say that I have not heard before?" Andromeda inquired, frowning. "It seems like every week your apologizing to me. If you were truly sorry you would stop lying."

"I..I.." Loki rambled and Andromeda scoffed.

"What? Not so silver-tongued now?" The princess pushed away from the trickster, crossing her arms over her chest. "You are supposed to be so articulate, my prince. All of the other maidens will not stop speaking of your smooth words. But what do I get? A babbling liar!"

"Andromeda," The prince warned with a glare but the princess just laughed in reply.

"What?" She breathed, chuckling humorlessly. "Are you going to call me a mortal? Threaten my life? Tell me I am not good enough to speak to a prince of Asgard in such a way? I have heard it all before." Loki's eyes softened but Andromeda did not stop her speech. "If you feel so strongly about your disdain towards me; inform me now and I will not speak to you again. I will not seek you out; I won't even speak your-"

Andromeda's tirade was interrupted by Loki's voice. "I would never wish for that, Andromeda. The idea of never seeing you again would be a night terror I could never awake from." He walked over to an apprehensive Andromeda and slowly took her bronzed hands in his. He looked into her eyes and continued, "I am a fool, I will admit that to you and only you, but I do care for you. More than you will ever know." He raised her hands to mouth and pressed his lips to her knuckles.

Andromeda's eyes started to water and she shook her head, "That does not make everything alright, Loki." The princess dropped the formalities of his name for the first time, making the prince swallow nervously. "You may care for me, but how have you shown it since I have been in Asgard? I do not know if I believe you; you have taken advantage of the feelings you know I have towards you. I fear I can not trust you." The princess sighed, and slowly removed her hands from his. "I am not a child anymore, Loki. You can not just make a dove appear above my head and make me forget all that you have done."

"I am sorry." The prince rasped, his voice shaking. "I do not know what else I can say, I do not want to lose you, I just...please Andromeda." He begged and Andromeda bit her lip.

The princess looked down at her feet and fiddled with her fingers nervously, she licked her lips and looked up at Loki with sapling eyes. "Do you love me?"

Loki paused and turned away from her, setting his jaw. He took a breath and looked away from her, giving Andromeda the answer she needed. She gathered her dress in her hands and made her way back to the palace, leaving the prince in the forest.

When the princess returned to her room, she shut the door behind her and sunk to the floor, tucking her head in her knees. What had she expected? The prince to get on his knees and proclaim his love? He couldn't possibly love her; he obviously felt as if she was beneath him. Andromeda closed her eyes, the image of him smiling at her when she was a child coming to her mind.

A knock at the door brought the princess out of her thoughts. The beauty wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, before standing up and opening the door.

"Princess Andromeda," A guard greeted, bowing respectfully. "The King and Queen request your presence in the Grand Hall."

Andromeda nodded and followed after the guard, walking through the palace hallway. The princess had no idea what this meeting was to be about, she just hoped it that she was not in any trouble. She arrived to the double doors of the Grand Hall and collected herself, before nodding to the guard. The warrior opened the doors and announced her, "Princess Andromeda of Aethiopia."

The bronze beauty took a breath and walked into the hall, bowing before the king and queen.

"You may rise." The King's voice bellowed through the hall. Andromeda obeyed but kept her eyes down. "You have been in Asgard for a month now, a Midgardian year. How are you enjoying your stay?"

Andromeda smiled, though she looked at the queen instead of the king. "It is amazing...better than I could have ever imagined."

Frigga smiled smally at her as Odin continued to speak, "The Asgardian peasants have taken quite a liking to you, Princess. Some have even spoke of you marrying one of my sons."

The princess paused and she furrowed her brows, "I have not heard such chatter, your highness." She fibbed, biting her lip.

The olden king chuckled and stroked his beard, "What do you think of such an idea, Princess Andromeda?"

The princess' eyes widened and she started to stutter, her face warming up.

"Do not tease her, beloved." Frigga laughed, placing a loving hand on her husband's arm.

"I was simply asking a question." King Odin smirked at his queen. He turned back to Andromeda, the humor gone from his face. "Princess Andromeda of Aethiopia, I have summoned you here to inform you of the status of your kingdom." Andromeda furrowed her brows, glancing up at the king. She held her breath, waiting to see if the news was negative. "Your kingdom is safe, girl. You may return home."

"Home?" The princess whispered, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Yes, child." Frigga smiled thinly, "Your mother and father are alive and well, and would like for you to return home to them."

"I…" Andromeda shook her head incredulously, not believing her ears. She put a hand over her stomach, feeling sick. "Return…?"

"Only if you want to, dear." Frigga added before Odin shook his head with a frown.

"Your parents want you home, Princess Andromeda." He turned to his wife and lowered his voice, "Who are we to deny a parent's wish?"

"He cares for her." Frigga muttered back to her husband, though she kept a smile on her face for Andromeda.

"This is not for him to decide." Odin whispered harshly before raising his voice. "Princess Andromeda, you must understand. If you choose to return to Midgard; You may never return."

Andromeda bit her lip and looked away, "And if I stay?"

"You may never see your parent's again." Odin informed her with a stern face. "I will give you the rest of the day to make your decision; you shall return to this hall the minute the sun sets over the horizon and inform me of your decision." The princess nodded in reply and bowed her head. "You may go." The king dismissed, and the bronze woman left the room.

Andromeda walked back to her room in a daze, her face stuck in a confused expression. She got to her suite and shut the door behind her, sinking to the floor once again.

Home.

She could go home. Did she want to go home? Was it different from what she remembered? How could she live on Earth when she had seen the beauty of Asgard? How could she return to her marble palace walls when she had slept in gold? The draping of her gowns back home couldn't compare to the soft tight fabric of Asgard. Was she even an Aethiopian anymore; or was she an Asgardian citizen?

And what would become of her? Would she have to marry Phineus? What about Thor and Loki; surely the princes would move on without her. They would continue to live while she would get old and wither away. A blink of a God's eye and she would be dead. Would they weep for her when she was gone?

Andromeda raised a shaky hand and wiped her eyes. She seemed to be crying a lot lately, maybe all of her problems would be solved if she went home. The beauty could not decide whether to stay or go; but she did decide that she was being selfish.

She was the princess of Aethiopeia, daughter of Queen Cassiopeia and King Cepheus. She was to inherit the rule of a kingdom that she was hesitant to return to. In that moment, Andromeda knew what she had to do.

She was going home.


	14. Farewell

Beautiful brown saplings of eyes stared at their reflection in the mirror. Pale hands danced around the face the oculars belonged to, primping and dusting the bronzed skin with powders and cosmetics. A brush covered in gel caressed the woman's lips, while another brush danced across her cheeks adding light to the already glowing skin. The long brunette curls of the woman were braided away, wrapped around her head in a large, tight bun.

The woman was guided up from the vanity and stood in front of a mirror as a gown was brought to her. The handmaidens dressed the woman like she was a doll, tying the woman's lithe body into the fabric. The smooth, brown skin of the woman's shoulders was bared before the world in the light beige gown that was lined in deep red, and the sheer train of the dress was a few steps behind her. The woman bowed and one of the handmaidens placed a thin crown on her head.

A knock was heard from the door and a servant hurried to answer it, revealing a guard. "It is time."

The woman nodded and looked to her handmaidens with a sad smile. She wrapped her long arms around the two plump woman and breathed out a word of thanks. "For all that you have done." She added, smiling prettily. With one last nod, the woman left the room with the guard, letting him lead her to the Grand Hall.

Today was the day of Andromeda's farewell feast; for tomorrow morning, the princess would be returning to her kingdom. As she walked to the Hall, the beauty was overcome with grief, though her chin was still lifted. She was saying goodbye to her new home, in exchange for her old one.

Reaching the familiar double doors of the Grand Hall, Andromeda exhaled shakily and lifted her chin higher. She put her shoulders back and folded her hands in front of her body, nodding to the guard when she was ready.

"Princess Andromeda of Aethiopia!" The double doors slowly opened and she was met with the cheers of crowd and the bright light gleaming in the golden room.

Andromeda smiled prettily and floated down the center aisle, nodding at random peasants in the crowd. She looked forward and caught a glimpse of the royal family: King Odin was sitting high as always, observing the scene with a stern face; Queen Frigga was standing beside him smiling fondly; Prince Thor was standing to the side, a small smile that looked odd on his normally beaming face; and Prince Loki was standing next to his brother, though his face was blank.

The princess stood before the royal family and bowed deeply, lowering her head in respect. "You may rise." Odin's voice boomed and Andromeda obeyed, holding her head high once more. "Princess Andromeda, we have congregated here to announce that your time in Asgard has come to an end. Your presence here will be greatly missed, young princess of Aethiopia, but we respect your decision to return home. You may speak, child."

"With all respect due to you, Allfather," Andromeda started, raising her eyes to meet the king's, "I would like to address the people of Asgard." Odin fought the smile on his face and nodded to the young woman.

The beauty turned around and smiled sadly at the crowd, "I promised myself I would not cry, though it seems I have already broken that promise…" The crowd laughed jointly at the princess and she smiled once more. "Firstly, I would like to thank all of you for your hospitality. You welcomed me into your beautiful kingdom and treated me like one of your own, and I so appreciate that. It is," She paused and took a breath, composing herself, "So easy to let an occasion such as this be dampened by a shroud of sadness. But I do not want any of you to grieve my departure. So many people do not have a home, or a place to call their home." Andromeda licked her lips as a tear ran down her cheek, "When I return to my kingdom, I will be so lucky; I will look to the heavens and remember that I have a home there, too. So please, eat, dance, be merry but when this night ends, please do not forget me; as I vow I will never forget all of you." Andromeda finished and the crowd interrupted into applause and cheers.

"You heard the girl," Odin boomed, a smile finally on his face, "Eat! Drink! Be merry!" Everyone moved over to the feasting table and took their seats.

Prince Thor came up behind Andromeda and placed an arm around the princess' shoulders. "Are you alright?" He asked, looking down at her with a worried expression.

Andromeda looked up at Thor and smiled, placing a dainty hand on his. "I am fine, just a little sullen, that is all." The golden prince patted her on the shoulder and led her to the feasting table, pulling her chair out for her. The princess thanked him and sat down, wiping her eyes with a napkin that was placed on the table.

Queen Frigga placed a comforting hand on Andromeda's knee and smiled at her, whispering, "You did wonderful, dear."

The beauty beamed at the queen and nodded,"Thank you." She whispered back with a sniffle. As King Odin give a toast in her honor, she listened intently casting radiant smiles toward the king when it was appropriate. Feeling eyes on her, Andromeda glanced across the table, only to hurriedly return her gaze back to Odin when her sweet brown eyes met poisonous greens.

The toast ended and everyone raised their glasses in the air, taking a swig of ale. The guests then began to pile food onto their plate and talk amongst themselves.

"He can't take his eyes off you." The hushed voice of Sif whispered to her Midgardian friend. Said friend shook her head slightly as she took a bite of her meal.

"He is just upset." The princess whispered back to her warrior friend, waving her concern off.

Sif chuckled and took a sip of her drink, leaning over and muttering, "He is angry that he cannot have you."

"Oh?" Andromeda raised her eyebrows, raising her glass to her lips, "Like you are with Thor?" The warrior gasped and lightly hit the princess on her arm. The bronzed woman just laughed, "Ouch, you do not strike nobility Lady Sif!" She warned teasingly.

"My apologies Princess Andromeda," Sif mocked, putting on a aristocratic accent, "I did not realize I was dealing with a royal."

"Oh well Lady Sif you better recognize my status," Andromeda mimicked her friend, putting her pinky by her mouth, "Lest you find yourself out on the street!" The women giggled with each other before the smile falters on the princess' face. "I am going to miss you Sif."

The brunette warrior clicked her teeth and scoffed, turning her head away from Andromeda. "Stop your blubbering." She snapped, though her voice wavered.

"Only if you stop yours!" The Aethiopian retorted, nudging her friend teasingly.

The feast soon ended and the real festivities began, music wafting through the Hall. Andromeda was being approached left and right by guests wishing her well and saying goodbye. The bronzed princess was radiantly beaming, though inside she was sad, she was happy that Asgard would actually miss her company.

Andromeda smiled as the two blonde children that she had met when she rode into Asgard approached her. She knelt down to their level, "How nice to see you both again! Asger and Alva, correct?"

The little girl, Alva, gasped her face lighting up. "You remembered!"

The princess laughed and pinched the little girl's cheek. "Of course I did! How could I forget my little friends?"

"Why are you leaving us, princess?" Little Asger finally pipped up, though his cheeks still reddened when Andromeda's eyes fell on him.

"I must go home children. My kingdom needs me. But do not fret, I am sure I will see you again."

"We brought you a present!" Alva exclaimed, pulling her hands from behind her back. It was a little crown made of beautiful, exotic flowers.

"Oh how lovely." Andromeda breathed, bowing her head and letting Alva place the crown around her bun. "I will treasure it always, thank you." She winked at the children before standing up at her full height.

At that moment, Prince Thor approached the princess, making the children gasp. "Ah Alva and Asger, what a surprise to see you here!" The prince greeted with a large grin. He turned to Andromeda and offered her his arm, "Would you like to dance, princess?"

"Of course." She nodded before turning back to the blonde children and cupping their cheeks. "I will see you at a later date, precious babes." Andromeda took Thor's arm and he led her to the middle of the floor. She placed her hands on his shoulders and his hands were around her waist.

"You are leaving me so soon?" Thor muttered, a twinkle in his eyes. "Who will be the source of my affection?"

"I am sure you can find another maiden to occupy your time." The princess retorted with a smirk and the prince chuckled deeply.

The elder Asgardian heir's blue eyes shined and he smirked back, smoothly replying, "Aye but I will never find a maiden as beautiful as you." Andromeda's face flushed and she bit her lip, looking away from her partner's eyes. Thor laughed, "I have finally rendered you speechless and you are leaving me in the morning, oh how cruel fate is."

"I am not speechless…" The beauty retorted, though she was fighting a smile on her full lips. "I am just thinking about how right you are. My heart aches for you, really."

The prince shook his head with a smile as the song stopped. He cupped Andromeda's cheek in his large hand and his thumb stroked her soft skin. His eyes searched hers and his smile widened, "I'm going to miss you, Andromeda."

The beauty smiled back, her eyes filling with tears. "Just promise me," She breathed, before pausing to collect herself, "You will not forget me when I am gone."

Thor knew that Andromeda was talking about more than just her leaving Asgard, but he did not comment on the grave tone of her statement. Instead he placed his other hand on her cheek and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "I would never." He vowed and the young woman beamed before turning her face and pressing her lips to his large palm.

A tap on her shoulder, broke the moment between the two and Andromeda turned around to see Sif. "Excuse me, can I speak to you for a moment, princess?"

The beauty furrowed her brows but nodded, excusing herself from Thor. She followed Sif out to the balcony of the Hall and shut the door behind them, looking to her friend with a confused expression. "Is everything alright?"

Sif turned to Andromeda with a glare, "What have you done, child!"

The princess was taken aback by her friend's tone and she walked up to the brunette, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What are you talking about?" The warrior shrugged the princess' hand off and a flash of green light emitted from her, making the woman transform into a man. "Loki?"

"Are you that angry with me that you would request to return to your kingdom?" The prince snapped, his voice raising with every word. "You would leave me over an insignificant argument?"

"Leave you? I-" Andromeda tried to interject but the prince continued to sneer.

"You are such a child Andromeda! Always running away from your problems instead of facing them!" Loki continued and the princess shook her head incredulously.

"Now you wait one minute," She snapped angrily, glaring up at the prince. "I am not running away from anything. How dare you! Why do you even care?"

"You are wicked," The dark prince accused, his voice burning. "A wicked little minx. Using my feelings against me like this! I confided in you that you leaving would be a my worst nightmare and what do you do but exactly that." Loki's voice started to break and his eyes started to gleam with frustrated tears. "Why do you want to leave me?" He growled out, his nostrils flaring.

"Oh Loki," Andromeda breathed, reaching up to cup his face.

"Don't touch me." He screamed out, pushing her hands away. "What did I do?" He sputtered, running a hand through his usually perfect black hair. "What can I do? I will do anything you want. What do you want me to do?"

"I don't-"

"I will give you anything! Please, I am begging you. What can I do? I love you. There. Will you stay now?" Loki clamped his hands on her shoulders, before caressing her face. "Please don't leave me." He muttered, his hands brushing her caressing her hair. "Please."

"I..I have to." Andromeda swallowed, licking her lips. "I am sorry. I am not leaving because of you, I promise. I am sorry." She repeated and Loki shook his head furiously, leaning down and pressing pecks on her face.

"Stay with me." He begged again, through every peck.

"Stop." The princess sobbed, her small hands trying to push him away. Loki kisses trailed to her neck and her fists hit his chest. "You are making this harder for yourself." She muttered before closing her eyes and going for his jugular. "You are pathetic." She spat, feeling the lips on her neck pause. She took deep breath and sneered, "You think that begging for me will make me stay? Why would I want someone like you?"

Loki pulled back from her and searched her face with wide eyes. Andromeda glared back and continued, "Hmm? You have nothing to offer me but fallacies and fairytales. You think you saved me and I owe you something?" The princess pushed his hands off of her face, "I do not owe you shit. You were repaying a debt."

Andromeda turned to leave the balcony, picking up her dress in her hands. "Do not follow me." She called back to him before wiping her face and placing a smile on it, attending to her guests.

For the rest of the night the woman tried to convince herself that it would be better for him to be angry at her than it would be for him to miss her. At least then it wouldn't hurt him so much.


	15. Home

(A/N: So the myth comes back in these next few chapters. It is going to be very exciting and all that.)

Andromeda stared up at the ceiling of her Asgardian suite, willing time to slow down. She had tried to go to sleep, but the butterflies in her stomach would not settle. In less than four hours she was going to be home and the voices in her head would not stop screaming about it.

The princess sighed and got out of her large bed, running a hand through her wild curls. She slipped on some slippers and wrapped a robe around her body, quietly leaving her room. She tip-toed through the palace hallways, trying not to think about how this would probably be the last time.

Andromeda opened the door to that lead out to the royal garden and slipped through it, brushing her fingertips against the tops of flowers. She looked up at the full moon shining over Asgard and smiled, feeling rejuvenated by its glow. She sat down at the garden's stone bench and put her feet up, wrapping her arms around her legs and placing her chin on her knees.

She supposed she could have wished on a star, but who would be listening?

"Please let everything be alright…" Andromeda whispered to no one.

"I am sure it will." A voice sounded from the side of her and the princess turned her head, smiling when she saw it was Thor. The prince walked over to her and sat on the other side of the bench, putting Andromeda's dainty feet in his lap. "Why are you awake Andromeda? You should be getting your beauty sleep."

"It is not like I need it." Andromeda retorted smartly, making Thor laugh. The princess smiled at the laughter but it soon faltered, "I am scared."

"Aye it is understandable, you have been gone for a Midgardian year." The golden prince stated, slipping Andromeda's slippers off her feet and massaging them.

Andromeda pouted and sniffed, "What if they resent me for the wrath of the Gods? What if they want to burn me alive?"

Thor raised an eyebrow, "Then I will save you and bring you back here to be my queen." He finished with a smirk, tickling the bottom of Andromeda's feet.

The princess giggled and kicked at his hands, "Thor I am serious!"

"I am serious as well, Andromeda." The golden prince's calloused hands rubbed the princess' exposed legs. "They will continue to love you, I am sure."

Andromeda bit her lip and looked away from Thor's doting eyes, suddenly feeling guilty. "Thor," She started, looking up at the stars, "When I return to Aethiopeia I am to be wed." The slow circles on her legs did not falter, the fingers just dug deeper into her skin. "It is a very odd thing to think about...being married. I really can not imagine it. I feel like I am so young, compared to all of you. Our lives on Midgard are so insignificant and short. I am afraid now that I know there is something better I…" Andromeda stopped talking when she felt tears run down her cheeks.

"Oh come now," Thor cooed, opening his arms to the princess, and Andromeda scooted in, "Do not cry."

She let out a sad little laugh, "I am always crying." She muttered into Thor's chest.

The golden prince boomed out a laugh and rocked her back and forth like a child. "You are a very compassionate woman, there is no shame in that."

"I am going to miss you." Andromeda sniffled, closing her eyes. Thor said nothing in reply, just continuing to rock her back and forth. The princess soon fell asleep, breathing softly against the prince's chest.

Thor smiled down at her and stood up, cradling her like a bride. He walked through the hallways of the palace, making his way to her room. He opened her bedroom door and kicked it shut behind them, walking over to her bed. As gently as he could, he placed her on the bed, marveling at how her hair flowed around her like a halo. The golden prince leaned over her and brushed his lips against her forehead, inhaling her scent, before standing straight and preparing to leave. A hand grasped his wrist and he looked back, seeing Andromeda's sleepy amber eyes. "Thank you." She muttered, smiling lazily. Thor nodded silently and patted her hand, leaving the bedroom as Andromeda's eyes fluttered closed.

Five hours later, Andromeda was standing at the bridge between worlds. The young woman's curls were left down, caressing her back. The princess' body was adorned with a white gown that cinched at her waist and crossed over her shoulders in a cape; her last Asgardian gown. A thin, golden crown was placed on her head.

Standing in front of the princess were the King and Queen of Asgard and their eldest son; the youngest prince was not in attendance.

Andromeda bowed her head, smiling prettily at the royals. "Thank you for your hospitality." She breathed, standing straight once again.

The queen returned the smile and pecked the girl on each cheek, "It was an honor to have you, Princess Andromeda." She wrapped her arms around the princess and whispered in her ear, "I am sure my youngest will miss you, too."

Andromeda smiled sadly in reply as the queen took a step back, standing by her husband. Thor was last to say goodbye, walking to the princess with a straight face and taking her hands in his. "Your presence will be missed by all, Andromeda. But you are a strong ruler for choosing your kingdom over yourself." The prince leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek, "I hope to be as formidable of a ruler as you one day." Thor finished with a wink.

"That day will be far in the future I am sure." The beauty teased the prince one last time with a smirk. Thor chuckled lowly and nodded, a wide grin on his face.

"It is time." Heimdall, the gatekeeper informed Andromeda and the beauty nodded.

With one last doting look she stepped into the portal from which she came, holding in her tears as light began to flash around her. She lifted her hand in a wave but before she could make the motion the royal family disappeared from her view. Andromeda traveled through the worlds, her hair waving wildly around her, until she was transported into a large grass plain.

The princess landed with a jolt fell into the dirt, where a foreign marking was burnt into the ground. The curly-haired woman lifted herself out of the dirt and smoothed her gown. Unlike Asgard, where it was the early morning when she left, the sun was just setting over Aethiopia.

"Andromeda?" The princess' head whipped around at the sound of her name. Standing there with Cosima and Ares was her mother. Queen Cassiopeia wrapped her arms around her only child, squeezing her tightly. "My Gods, you are alive!"

"Mother." Andromeda breathed, tears running down her cheeks. "I can not believe…" The princess got choked up as her mother pulled away and held her at arm's length.

The queen's smile turned into a frown as she looked her daughter up and down, "Gods, what on Earth are you wearing?!" She exclaimed and Andromeda laughed, turning to her albino handmaiden.

"Cosima!" The princess smiled, embracing the pale woman.

Cosima returned the embrace, crying. "I thought I would never see you again." The woman muttered to her surrogate child, nuzzling into her hair. Another dark set of arms wrapped around the two women, "I am glad to see you back, Princess Andromeda." Ares deep voice bellowed.

"Alright, alright." Queen Cassiopeia waved her hands, separating the three. "That is enough. Come Andromeda we have much to discuss."

The Queen and Princess of Aethiopia walked through the field, a servant holding a canopy over their heads.

"Andromeda tell me about Asgard. What was it like?" Her mother inquired, a beautiful smile gracing her face.

The princess smiled back and hummed in absolute bliss, "Oh Mother is was beautiful! Golden walls, bright skies, beautiful people! Oh and they had these flowers! Even if you cut them they still bloomed!"

"That sounds wonderful, dear." Queen Cassiopeia cooed, twirling one of Andromeda's curls around her finger like she did when the girl was younger. "How did you get along with the royals? That Prince Thor seemed to take a liking to you when he transported you there." Andromeda's face flushed and she looked away from her mother. Cassiopeia raised a dainty brow at her daughter's reaction. "Andromeda, my beautiful girl, please tell me you are still virtuous."

"Mother!" Andromeda snapped with a grimace. "Of course I am! Gods, why would you say something like that?"

Queen Cassiopeia narrowed her pretty eyes, "Do not raise your voice at me unless you want to wake without a tongue."

The younger woman bit her tongue with wide eyes and nodded, changing the subject quickly. "How did the kingdom survive the wrath of the Gods? What happened?"

The queen's glare melted and she shook her head, "Oh Andromeda it was awful! It rained for weeks! Thunder boomed through the land and lightning struck at every hour!" Her mother dramatized fluttering her fingers in the air. "But none of that could compare to the worst wrath of them all! Poseidon sent a monster to ravage the kingdom. It rose from the harbor and killed many of our citizens!"

"Gods!" Andromeda gasped, a hand over her chest.

"Yes." Cassiopeia nodded with wide eyes, before smiling, "But a brave warrior seeking refuge slayed the monster and saved us!"

"What?" The princess exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Yes!" Her mother replied once more, a large smile on her face. "You will meet him at the banquet tonight." The older woman looped her arm around her daughters and lowered her voice, "He is very handsome, Andromeda."

Andromeda furrowed her eyebrows, forcing herself to say, "Mother that is not appropriate, I am engaged, remember?"

Queen Cassiopeia stopped in her tracks, making the princess stop also. She turned to her daughter and put her hands on her shoulders, a solemn look on her face. "Andromeda," She started in a low tone, "Your uncle Phineus is dead." The mother searched her daughter's face and embraced her, whispering, "He battled with the monster and perished."

Andromeda swallowed thickly, feeling terrible about the relief that washed over her. Her mother stepped away from their embrace and continued to walk, seeing the palace just across the horizon. The princess was silent for the remainder of the journey, a pensive look across her face. When they finally arrived to the palace, the doors were opened for them. King Cepheus stood at the doorway with his arms opened wide.

"Father!" Andromeda called, running into her father's arms. The king gave his daughter a tight hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. The princess giggled and squealed, feeling like a little girl again.

King Cepheus set his daughter down and grinned widely, pinching her cheek. "My family is complete once more!"

"Alright dear," Queen Cassiopeia said to her husband, "Andromeda has to get ready for the banquet!" The mother turned to her daughter and looked her up and down distastefully. "I can not have her be seen in such an obscene dress! And with her hair down no less!"

"Mother…" Andromeda started, only to be tugged away by Cosima.

The albino woman hooked her arm around the princess' and whispered, "You have just gotten home and you are already causing a ruckus, Princess!"

"I am not!" The young girl huffed as Cosima opened the door to her old bedroom.

Andromeda's eyes scanned over her bedroom and smiled, taking a deep breath of air. Everything was just like she left it, though her bed was made; even her cosmetics were in the same place.

The handmaiden laughed and sat on the bed as servants came in to get the princess ready. "You are still hard-headed I see!"

"I am not!" Andromeda repeated, giggling when she realized her words gave her away. The maids made quick work of stripping her out of her dress, tossing it carelessly to the side. "Hang that up." She insisted with a scoff and her demand was quickly obeyed. She was led to the bathroom where a marble tub was filled with warm water. She slowly sunk into the warmth, sighing in content. Her body was scrubbed clean of Asgard, the scent being replaced by rose petals. When her body was completely cleansed, Cosima came into the bathroom and massaged soap into her hair.

Andromeda moaned, "I missed your hands, Cosima."

"I missed your ruckus, Princess."

The beauty laughed and it carried through the bathroom. "I do not know how you and Ares survived without my antics bringing the two of you together."

Cosima giggled and rinsed the soap from her curls, "We did just fine without you."

"You are not married yet." Andromeda retorted, her sapling eyes now open and staring up at the handmaiden.

"Oh?" Cosima raised a brow, covering her mouth with her hand.

Andromeda's eyes widened and she turned in the tub, squealing in delight. "Cosima! Oh my Gods! You and Ares are-!"

Cosima nodded with a huge grin and the princess wrapped her wet arms around her, drenching the poor woman. "Princess!" She exclaimed with a laugh.

"I want to cry, I am so happy for the two of you!" Andromeda beamed as Cosima wrapped a towel around her body. "How long has it been?"

"We will be approaching five months in the next week." Cosima informed her, wiping the moisture from the younger woman's body.

"I cannot believe this." Andromeda whispered, shaking her head. "My Cosima and Ares...married!"

Cosima just smiled as she wrapped a robe around Andromeda and sat her down at her vanity. Two servants came swarming to the princess, quickly combing through her hair and drying it with towels. As they began to braid her hair, Cosima watched through the mirror.

"You know princess," The albino woman started, a small smirk on her face, "You could be the next one to be wed."

Andromeda snorted unattractively, straightening her posture when Cosima sent her a look. She cleared her throat, "Why do you think that?"

"This warrior the Queen was speaking of is very handsome."

The princess rolled her eyes. She had been adored by gods; how handsome could this mortal warrior be?

Cosima saw the unconvinced look on the princess' face and continued to speak. "He is beautiful, Andromeda, he looks like a statue come to life!"

"A married woman should not talk about a man that is not her husband in such a way!" Andromeda teased in a scandalized voice, wincing when a servant pulled a curl too tight. Her hair was finished and it was braided back in small plaits, all of the hair gathering in the middle of her head in a large, braided bun.

"I am just trying to warn you." Cosima stated wistfully, "You might fall in love tonight."

Andromeda rolled her eyes once more as the maids began to paint her face in bronze hues. "Love, love, love. I am quite sick of the notion." Her face was painted in metallic colors of gold and bronze, the maids coloring her lips with mashed berries.

"What brought on this attitude? You used to be an Aphrodite incarnate." The albino woman questioned, going to get Andromeda's dress for the evening out of her wardrobe.

Andromeda bit her lip and shook her head, looking in the mirror sadly. "It is not any of your concern. Just know that I am sick of it and whoever this warrior is will not make me change my mind." The princess finished sternly, standing from the vanity. Cosima took the robe off of her and dressed her in a beautiful white gown with gold embroidery. The collar of the gown was gold and it scooped down, stopping just above her cleavage. The sleeves of the gown had thin gold cuffs on the elbows and thicker gold cuffs on the wrists, the white fabric flowing between the tucks. The body of the dress draped over Andromeda, the cloth falling on her body and hugging it, though it was not as tight as her Asgardian gowns.

"Beautiful." Cosima breathed, smoothing the dress down with her hands and fastening golden sandals on the princess' feet. "I have to go get ready myself. You are to stay in this room until I come get you, understood?" Andromeda didn't answer, to busy gazing at herself in the mirror. "Andromeda." Cosima growled and the princess waved her off.

"Yes, yes. I will not leave."

"No one can see you. Please do not leave this room or your mother will have my head." Cosima pleaded, giving her one last look before leaving the room with the servants.

Andromeda stared at the door for a moment before huffing, going to her bookcase. She ran her hands over the book spines, smiling when she found her old journal. She took the book and flipped through the pages, laughing as she read her childish thoughts. She put her journal back and sat on her bed, kicking her feet. The princess got up from the bed and began to spin in circles, watching her dress twirl around with her. She stopped twirling when she got dizzy and sat down once more, smoothing her dress with her hands.

The beauty walked out onto her balcony looking up at the night sky. Just this morning she was up there in Asgard and now she was back home on Earth. The woman felt like she should be happier than she was, but she could not help but feel sad.

Andromeda sighed solemnly and leaned against her balcony railing, placing her hand on her cheek. Little did she know was that someone was watching her from below.


	16. Perseus

"Relax, relax, relax, relax." Andromeda chanted to herself as she stood in front of the double doors of the grand ballroom. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, putting her chin up and relaxing her shoulders.

"Princess Andromeda of Aethiopia!" Boomed through the doors and they opened to the sound of loud applause. Andromeda's face spread into a regal smile as she floated down the walkway. She nodded to different people in the royal court, waving graciously. She stopped short of the throne and looked to her parents who were beaming down at her.

"My beautiful daughter," King Cepheus bellowed, his voice bouncing around the hall, "We are gathered here to celebrate your return to Aethiopia!" At the sound of this the royal court roared.

"To commemorate your return to your kingdom, we have made you a brand new tiara!" Queen Cassiopeia announced, nodding to the servants with a smile.

Andromeda looked around in surprise as a horn was played and Cosima, who was now dressed in a beige gown, walked to the queen holding a pillow with a crown on it. The princess' eyes widened as she caught of glimpse of the tiara. It was in a half moon shape, the center of the tiara being the apex. There were gold branches overlapping each other on the band, while little diamonds littered the whole crown. The tiara shined under the light of the hall.

Queen Cassiopeia lifted the crown with careful hands, smiling at her daughter as Cosima back away. "Approach us, dear daughter."

The princess obeyed and bowed her head, feeling her mother place the tiara on her head. She stood straight once more and turned towards the royal court, beaming with joy.

"Our princess has returned to us!" King Cepheus boomed, placing a large hand on his daughter's shoulder. It seemed as if all of Aethiopia cheered in unison, a heavy voice echoing throughout the kingdom. Andromeda couldn't help the large smile that stretched across her face as she was welcomed home. "Everyone please enjoy the festivities!" A band started to play music and the royal court began to enjoy themselves, drinking and dancing.

Andromeda greeted aristocrats and dignitaries, smiling graciously. When she spotted a certain tall, dark, and handsome servant she excused herself from her line of guests. She hurried towards Ares, tapping him on the shoulder. The tall man whipped around, smiling when he saw it Andromeda. "Why did you not tell me that you and Cosima got married?!" She exclaimed with a pout.

Ares laughed, his white teeth standing out against his skin. "I did not think you would be interested."

"Interested?" Andromeda shook her head incredulously, "I am the whole reason the two of you are together!"

The dark-skinned man furrowed his brows, "Oh? And how is that, Princess?"

"You two would not have gotten together if it were not for my shenanigans." The beauty answered matter-of-factly, a smug look on her pretty face.

"You mean the ridiculous stunts you used to pull?" Ares inquired, crossing his arms. "Like locking us in the maid quarters? Or running away from us in the fields? Or how about the time you pretended that Cosima had been mauled by a cheetah?"

Andromeda waved her hand, "All a part of my master plan." She insisted, smiling teasingly.

"Well congratulations," Ares clapped his hands in jest, "Your plan was a success."

"Now I just have to wait for the two of you to have children…" Andromeda muttered, making the older man sputter.

"What?!"

"Oh Ares I do hope you name me the godmother!" The princess teased, causing the servant to shake his head and leave her. She laughed loudly, feeling a tap on her shoulder. Andromeda turned around and gasped, her face lighting up.

"Princess Andromeda." Her old friend Iola greeted with a smile. She was holding an infant and standing next to her was a tall man with dark hair and eyes.

"Iola!" Andromeda exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the woman and her child loosely. She took a step back and Iola grinned.

"I want to introduce you to my husband Nikola," She motioned to the man beside her, "And our child Andres."

"It is an honor to meet you, Princess." Nikola bowed in respect and Andromeda shook her head.

"There is no need for that Sir Nikola," The princess informed him with a smile, "Iola is like my sister, so you are my brother by spirit," Andromeda pinched the baby's cheek, "And your child my nephew." She cooed at the swaddled baby, "May I?"

"Of course!" Iola exclaimed handing her the infant.

Andromeda cradled the baby in her arms and cooed. "Oh Iola he is beautiful." She whispered, looking into the baby's brown eyes. "I can not believe I missed your wedding!"

"Oh do not feel bad, Andromeda." Iola shook her head, "It was very small. When the plagues happened we could not have the ceremony we wanted."

Nikola nodded in agreeance, "We just went to the King and he wed us in a little ceremony with our parents in attendance. Then after a few months little Andres came."

"What a blessing." Andromeda chimed, smiling down at Andres. She looked up at the couple, "I am so happy for the both of you."

"Thank you, Andromeda." Iola beamed proudly, Nikola putting an arm around her.

The friends stood there and chatted with each other for a few moments more before Queen Cassiopeia hurried over to them.

"Andromeda, I need your attention." The Queen said, rudely ignoring the couple in front of her.

Andromeda furrowed her brows at her mother's antics but nodded nonetheless, casting an apologetic glance to her friends. She handed Iola back her child and followed after her mother. "Mother that was very rude." She whispered, "Iola and Nikola are my friends and I do not appre-!" Andromeda's words were cut off as she was placed in front of an unfamiliar man.

The man was tall, but not overbearingly so, Andromeda's eyes came to his neck, and his skin was sun-kissed, though it was lighter than most of the citizens of Aethiopia; meaning that the man was foreign. He was dressed in a formal warrior's suit, an outfit mirroring a Greeks. His hair was a dark brown and it was curly and long, coming to his neck. His brows were dark and strong and lead down to a strong and straight nose. His lips were thinner than Andromeda's but they still were plump and pink. The man also had a shadow of facial hair above his lip and a shadow of a line leading down to his shadow covered chin.

He was beautiful.

Andromeda looked into the stranger's hazel eyes as her own fluttered, her hard resolve dissolving.

"Andromeda," Her mother's voice seemed far away, "This is the warrior that saved our kingdom, Perseus. Perseus this is my daughter, Andromeda."

"Hello." Andromeda all but whispered, tensing as Perseus took her hand in his and brushed his soft lips against her knuckles.

"It is a pleasure." The tanned man chimed, bowing to her with his eyes still on hers.

Queen Cassiopeia looked between the two with a smirk before walking away.

Perseus stood straight and looked down at the flushed-faced princess, smiling gently. "You are very beautiful, Princess."

"T-thank you." Andromeda stuttered, with a furrowed brow wondering why she was acting this way. "Not just for the compliment, but also for saving my kingdom."

Perseus smiled handsomely, his hazel eyes scanning the princess' face. "It was no trouble."

"Hm?" The princess hummed, raising a dainty brow, "I would not say slaying a beast was not any trouble." She turned toward the dance floor of the ballroom, feeling more like herself as she remarked spitefully, "Seems a bit boastful."

"If I had not known the kingdom housed a princess so beautiful it might have been more difficult." The warrior retorted, staring straight ahead with his hands folded behind his back.

Andromeda rolled her eyes and looked off to the side, "Are you stating that would not have saved my kingdom had it not been for me?"

"I am stating," Perseus emphasized his words, "That I may not have done it so hastily."

"So what are you hoping to accomplish by staying here?" The princess started, unimpressed, "Are you going to ask my parent's for my hand? Or are you going to charm me into falling in love with you? Or-!"

Perseus interrupted her, turning towards her with a surprisingly amused face. "I will not do either one of those things, Princess." He stated before leaning down until he was face to face with her, "I will do both." He muttered, one of his hazel eyes dropping down in a wink. The warrior leaned back and turned on his heel, throwing a smile over his shoulder at her as he walked away.

Andromeda watched him walk away with a glare and a slack jaw. She snapped out of her trance after a moment and composed herself, clearing her throat and smoothing down her dress. As she began to walk off her mother walked over to her with a wide grin.

"Well?" Queen Cassiopeia pondered, her face alight with joy.

"Well what?" The princess retorted, grabbing a glass from one of the serving trays and taking a sip. She grimaced at the taste; Aethiopian ale was not as delicious as Asgardian ale.

The queen snatched the glass from her daughter's hand and placed it on a passing server's tray. "Don't drink Andromeda, your stomach will bloat." She chided with a scowl before smiling once more. "What did you think of Perseus?"

"Arrogant." Andromeda hastily replied with a roll of her eyes, "Mother you should have told me that one of the pigs had started walking on its hind legs."

Her mother clicked her tongue at the insult, following after Andromeda as the princess tried to walk away. "Andromeda please be serious! He would make a great husband and not to mention a wonderful king!"

"Then let's not mention it." The princess quipped, trying to get away from her mother. She hurried toward the balcony doors and onto the terrace, only for her mother to grab her arm.

"Stop walking away from me, girl!" Queen Cassiopeia snapped, throwing her arm down. "What is the matter with you? The man was kind! He is a much better choice for you then your uncle or Prince Loki, hell even Prince Thor!"

"Mother I just got back from Asgard," Andromeda stared tiredly, the scene being too familiar, "Why must we already speak of marriage? Can I have a moment to breathe?"

Queen Cassiopeia was quiet for a moment before sighing and walking over to her daughter. She laid a dainty hand on her daughter's shoulder, coming to stand next to her. "Andromeda," She breathed, "I am sorry. You are absolutely right. I was so happy to have you back I seemed to have forgotten that you were gone for so long. Tell me child," She started, turning Andromeda to face her, "Did you fall in love?"

The Aethiopian heir looked away from her mother's eyes, only for the older woman to place a delicate hand on her cheek and turn her face back. Andromeda breathed out a shaky breath, "I have never been in love before, I have only read about it in books and witnessed it around me." She started, biting her lip when she felt tears well up in her eyes, "But I know that I loved him mother, more than I will probably love anyone in my life."

The queen searched her daughter's pretty face that mirrored hers, a frown settling on her features. She began to groom the young girl, caressing her face and settling the curls in her bun. "I will give you a year and a half," Cassiopeia finally spoke, "Tentatively. If something happens to your father or me than it will be sooner. If you fall in love once more, I will allow you to marry that man."

A smile grew on Andromeda's face and she surged forward, wrapping her arms around her mother. "Oh thank you mother!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, yes." Queen Cassiopeia chuckled, patting her daughter on the back, before pulling away. "A year and a half, Andromeda. That is eighteen months and not a minute more!"

"Of course mama!" Andromeda chimed informally, practically bouncing in delight. "Thank you!"

Queen Cassiopeia rolled her eyes and opened the door to the ballroom once more, "Now go back in there and socialize! You are casting a bad impression on the court!"

"Yes ma'am!" The princess said, hurrying into the room, hearing her mother callout behind her, "No drinking!"


	17. Eighteen Months

The first of the eighteen months Queen Cassiopeia had given her daughter were spent mostly in the library. She was looking for a law, or an amendment to Aethiopian law that stated that she did not need to marry to rule. She had not been successful in her quest, though she really could not concentrate on the words in the law books when a certain warrior had been pestering her.

Perseus would find his way to the library every day and lean against the wall, speaking non-stop to the princess about nothing and everything. At first it bothered her but on one particular day, the hazel-eyed warrior got under her skin.

That day, the smell of scripts and old paper wafted through the Aethiopian royal library. Sunlight shined into the large windows of the castle, casting a pretty glow on the marble walls. The only heir of Aethiopia was seated in the bibliotech, reading lines from an old law book and taking notes in a journal.

Andromeda had been home for three months, the first few of her designated eighteen months to find a husband.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet library, though the princess didn't look up. The footsteps stopped next to her and a voice rang out, "Good day, Princess."

Andromeda resisted the urge to roll her eyes and pursed her lips, "Good day, Sir Perseus." She muttered, trying to focus on the words.

"Why are you in this stuffy bibliotech, when the day is beautiful and the sun is shining?" The warrior inquired, leaning against the library wall.

"Why have you not gone home?" Andromeda retorted, not a hint of jest in her tone.

Perseus threw his head back in a laugh, much to the princess' annoyance. "Come for a walk with me." The warrior ordered after he had caught his breath.

Andromeda rolled her eyes before finally looking up at the handsome man, her face warming a tad when she saw his hazel eyes gazing at her. "Why should I?"

"Because the sun is high in the air and your beauty would only be complemented by its glow." Perseus remarked with a sly grin, his hazel eyes shining.

The princess raised a slender brow and held in a snort, not at all fazed by his pretty words. "Is that all the reason you have?"

The warrior frowned for a moment before a smile ticked on his face once more, "I am sure the citizens of Aethiopia will be happy to see their princess."

Andromeda leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms a pensive look on her face. "Okay," She acquiesced, after a long moment of silence, "That is a plausible answer but that still does not include the need for you."

"Well," Perseus started, his face twisting in a smug expression, "I will aid in your protection."

Andromeda huffed and got up from the desk, leaving her book and notes. "I do not need your protection." She snapped, turning on her heel and walking out of the library, her dress flowing behind her.

"Wait!" Perseus called behind her, hurrying after the princess. He began to walk in step with her, "I did not mean to offend."

"Well you did." Andromeda smiled spitefully, though the grin still lit up her pretty face.

"I apologize for how you feel," Perseus stated, his hazel eyes on hers, "But not what I said."

The princess stopped walking then, turning to the warrior with a raised brow. "What does that mean?"

Perseus smiled, taking her hands in his. "I will still guard your life with my own; though I am sorry if you think I feel that you are unequipped to protect yourself." He finished his statement with by bring her hands up to his lips and brushing them against them.

Andromeda tried to think of a mocking comment to make or a glaring look to throw but her mind was blank. She did not know whether it was the tone of his voice or the color of his eyes but Perseus had done what few men had before him; rendered her speechless.

"So," The warrior muttered, still holding her hands, "Will you walk with me?"

"Okay." Andromeda whispered back, her eyelashes fluttering.

That incident was the start of something between the two. As Andromeda greeted the people within her kingdom, Perseus was at her side, as if he was Aethiopian royalty himself. They walked through the high grass fields on Aethiopia, Andromeda letting her fingers lightly graze over the tops of grass and Perseus brushing his hands against hers.

When they stopped where Andromeda had found Loki all those years ago, Perseus sensed her dip in mood and picked a flower, placing it in her curly hair and smiling at her. After the walk it was safe to say that Andromeda was smitten.

After that day, every moment that Andromeda was awake was spent with had many things in common and he made her laugh; he thought her booming laugh was adorable. He complimented her, not just on her beauty but also on her intelligence and the way she spoke.

She would tell him stories about her childhood and he in turn would tell her stories about his battles and his home. Andromeda was so enamored with Perseus, she stopped looking for a loophole to go around marriage; though the warrior had assured her that he would wait as long as she wanted to get married.

The princess was happy. She was back home with her family and she had someone who adored her, but she could not help but feel a pulling at her heart every time she looked up into the sky. Especially when the night sky was so clear above her.

Andromeda and Perseus would sneak out of the palace and lay in the soft grass of the fields, staring up at the night sky.

"Meda," Perseus would chime, looking over to his paramour and seeing the solemn look on her face, "What are you thinking about?"

Andromeda would not look back at him, instead staring in the sky like she could see something more. "Nothing, love. The night is just so beautiful." She would whisper back wistfully.

"Just like you." Perseus would retort, lightly turning her face to his and brushing his fingers against her lips.

Andromeda did not tell Perseus about Asgard, for her mother and father forbid her from ever speaking of it. According to the rumours, Andromeda had been sent to Greece to escape the wrath of the Gods, not a far away world. All of her stories of Asgard and godly princes were silenced, never to be spoken of again. The only reminder of her time was the emerald necklace that graced the column of her neck.

Sometimes, when Andromeda was in the tub or she was brushing her hair at her vanity, she felt as if someone was watching her. She felt foolish, but she would call out her secret lover's name, "Loki?" She would whisper into the silence but she would never get an answer.

In her sleep, he would come to her. Or at least his face would. She'd reach for him but he was always just beyond her reach, smirking at her and taunting. She would wake up and cry, cursing his name and halfheartedly wishing he would leave her alone.

Andromeda went to her mother about this problem and the Queen had a quick solution: just visit one of the oracles. One day, under the cover of night, Andromeda met with her father's oracles. She asked if there was anything they could do to heal the emptiness she felt. To heal her of her affliction.

"What would you like, dear?" The old woman inquired, her hair gray with knowledge and her eyes full of wisdom.

"I do not understand." Andromeda told her, her pretty face clouded with sadness, "I have someone who loves me and I love him, but every time I am on my own…"

"You feel solemn? Empty? Like something is eating you from the inside?" The woman offered and the princess nodded.

"What can I do?"

"You can forget."

Andromeda's eyes widened at the notion and she shook her head. "I do not want to forget, I just do not want to feel so sad."

"There is no other healing for your ailment." The old woman informed her, getting up from her chair and opening a cupboard, looking around vials of liquids.

"But I…" The princess trailed off, biting her lip. The images of Asgard, the memories of Thor and Frigga, the memory of Loki… did she really want to forget about them? About him? Her childhood memories of the week with Loki, were they worth losing to alleviate the pain?

But she just hurt so bad. Her heart felt like it was collapsing on itself. She felt terrible and like she could not return the love Perseus gave to her because her love was still on Asgard. There was no way for her to return, or any reason to. Maybe it would be better for everyone if she didn't remember; then she would not hurt so much.

"Okay." Andromeda finally answered and the woman grinned at her. She took out a vial with a clear liquid in it and offered it to her, the princess taking it from her hand hesitantly. "What exactly will this make me forget?"

"The other world, my dear."

"All of it?" Andromeda asked, examining the vial. The oracle nodded, her dark eyes seemed to mirror the night sky. The princess bit her lip, "Is it permanent?"

"Almost." The old woman stated, leaning back in her chair, "If you were to travel back to the other world your memories would be returned." The elder scanned the princess' frightened face and placed a withered hand on hers. "It is the only way, princess."

Andromeda nodded to the oracle and looked at the vial once more. Everything in her mind was screaming at her to stop, to halt, to run out of the room and stare into the sky. But instead she sat there, one lone tear running down her cheek as she gulped the liquid down.

When Andromeda awoke the next day she was in the healing room. Her mother and father were there when she woke up, watching over her worriedly.

She could not remember why she was there.


	18. Hints

(A/N: Shit is about to hit the fan next chapter and I hope ya'll are ready!)

On a bright summer day, Andromeda was sitting in her garden. Queen Cassiopeia had surprised her with her own garden on her 19th birthday, shocking the princess. As the gardeners worked around her, the beauty read a book on a stone bench, the sun shining down on her.

Her curls were twisted on top of her head in a bun and a pretty green dress was draped over her body. The dress matched the necklace that dangled from her neck that, for the life of her, she could not remember where she got it from.

It had been a year since the incident that no one spoke of and Queen Cassiopeia made it her duty to make sure no one mentioned Asgard or anything to do with Prince Loki. She made Cosima throw out all of Andromeda's journals; she made Ares erase all scripts with Prince Loki's appearance in them. The queen wanted to make sure her daughter would not be triggered and get upset with her missing memories and as long as she stayed on Earth, she would not remember the world that she left behind. The mother had also sent a decree through the land that no one was to talk about Andromeda's absence or the plagues that had been bestowed on them by the Gods; for fear of angering the princess about things she wouldn't remember. Queen Cassiopeia even tried to take the emerald necklace off of the princess' neck, but it burned her fingers.

When she had told Andromeda to go to the oracle, she knew what the treatment would entail. She figured that it would be better for the young princess to forget all that she had experienced than it would be for her to suffer with the memory of what could have been. Her beloved husband agreed with her and when Andromeda woke up from her slumber they were happy to find that she did not remember anything associated with Asgard; including Loki.

Because of this, Andromeda did not remember the deal she made with her mother. Though the queen could have taken advantage of this; she did not. Instead she allowed Andromeda to have another year of freedom, but she could sense that her daughter would not last the year without getting married.

Andromeda flipped the page in her book and chewed on her lip as she read. She absentmindedly hummed out a tune and basked in the sun's glow. She paused in the middle of a sentence and looked up in the sky, shading her eyes from the sun with her hand. She felt like someone was watching her and she used to think it was just the Gods looking over her but it felt more personal. Closer, somehow. She stared into the blue sky for a moment more before returning to her book, picking up from where she left off.

The sound of a baby cooing brought her attention away from her book and she looked to the double doors, smiling when she saw her friend Iola and her nephew Andres. "Good morning Iola!" She greeted, reaching for the baby that was named for her as soon as his mother sat down.

"Good morning, Andromeda." Iola greeted with a smile as she handed her son to her best friend. "How does this day treat you?"

"Wonderful." Andromeda answered in a coo directed towards Andres. The baby giggled and reached for her face, his chubby hands patting her cheek. "How are you?"

"Wonderful as well," Iola replied, smoothing out her dress, "Andres and I have been out running errands. I wanted to come to you to ask if you would like to go to the bay with us."

Andromeda beamed as she bounced Andres, "Of course! I will alert the guards so we will have proper transportation and accompaniment."

An hour later Andromeda, Iola, and baby Andres were walking through the bay market together, along with three guards that were more for the princess than her two companions. The guards were carrying satchels full of free items that vendors were gifting to the princess.

"Princess! Please try my beauty cream made from crushed pearls!"

"Princess! Please taste my new crop of fruit!"

"Princess, won't you try my cocoa bean dish?" That last one caught Andromeda's attention and she bought ten pounds of cocoa bean for the palace. She was a sucker for chocolate. The friends stayed out the whole morning and into the afternoon, shopping and taking in the sun's rays. After their shopping trip they took a walk through the plains, switching out the palace guards for Cosima and Ares.

Andres crawled through the grass, smashing flowers between his chubby hands. Andromeda and Iola were leisurely strolling behind him.

Andromeda let out a fond sigh, "Iola, I want a baby."

Her friend laughed in reply, "Are you sure? You would lose your slim figure."

"I could not care less about my figure; I would be bringing life into the world." The princess stated, longing gazing down at her stomach.

"Who would the father of this supposed child be?" Iola inquired before raising a brow, "Perseus?"

Andromeda's face flushed but she nodded nonetheless, smiling to herself. "Our child would be beautiful. My skin and hair with his eyes."

"Careful, you are starting to sound like your mother." Cosima commented from behind them.

"There is nothing wrong for wanting a beautiful child and husband." Iola told Andromeda with a smile. "Especially with one as handsome as Sir Perseus."

The princess returned her friends smile but said nothing more, instead looking to the sky. They were a little farther in their walk when Andres suddenly crawled into a field of tall sunflowers. Andromeda went into the flowers after the baby, calling her nephew's name. She walked all the way through the tall flowers until she was on the other side, smiling in relief when she saw the baby sitting in the grass.

"Andres," She cooed, bending down to pick him up, "You had auntie so worri-! What is that?" The beauty held her nephew and squinted her eyes, seeing something in his hands. It was a doll. "Where did you get that?" Andres just giggled in reply, holding his new toy close to him.

Andromeda walked through the flowers once more, handing Iola her child once she saw them again. "Where did he get this doll from?" Iola asked, furrowing her brows. Andromeda just shrugged, though Cosima and Ares eyes widened slightly at the toy.

"Princess," Ares spoke, his dark eyes searching the horizon behind her, "Why don't we return to the palace?"

Andromeda nodded and the group proceeded to walk back to the large castle. By the time they arrived at the palace the sun was setting and the fireflies had started to began their light show. Iola bid her royal friend farewell, saying that she would see her at dinner, and Andromeda had begun the walk to her chambers.

Her walk was interrupted by a tap on her right shoulder. She turned her head and found nothing, so she turned to the left and instantly smiled. "Hello Perseus."

"Good evening, Meda." The warrior greeted, walking in step with the beauty. "How was your day?"

"Wonderful." Andromeda breathed, clapping her hands together. "Iola and I went shopping then we went for a stroll in the plains."

"That does sound wonderful." Perseus nodded, lacing his fingers with hers, lovingly.

"What about you?" The princess retorted, raising a slender brow, "Where were you all day?"

Perseus smirked, his hazel eyes lighting up with amusement, "Did you miss me?"

"Never." Andromeda quickly replied with a smirk of her own.

The warrior laughed and squeezed her hand, "I had business to attend to."

"What could you possibly be doing?" Andromeda asked with a frown, "Is my father trying to trick you into being a general again?"

"No, no. Nothing like that." Perseus chuckled again, "Though your father could not 'trick' me into anything."

"He tricked you into loving me." The beauty quipped as she opened her bedroom door. Perseus slipped in behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, turning her around.

"No," He breathed, looking into her eyes. "That was you." Andromeda smiled prettily up at him and he pecked her on the nose.

"Oh yes," The princess whispered, twirling out of his arms and walking to her dresser, "I forgot."

Perseus opened his mouth to say something more but was interrupted by Cosima and a flurry of maids bursting through the door. "Time to get ready for dinner, Princess." The albino woman chimed, casting a glance at Perseus. The warrior subtly nodded and left the room.

Andromeda was undressed and placed in a bathtub, where heated water had already been bucketed in, and washed meticulously. Her bun was let down and her hair was combed through, before soap was massaged into it.

When the day was completely washed from her and she smelt of roses once more, she was dried off, wrapped in a robe and sat down at her vanity. She was made up to look like a goddess and her hair was braided back in an elegant updo. A white gown with gold lining was placed on her and golden sandals were put on her feet. Her crown was placed back on her head, along with two golden cuffs on her wrists and after a spritz of rose water, she was ready to go to dinner.

Andromeda walked with Cosima to the dining hall, her head held high and her lips pursed. She stopped in front of the large double doors and waited to be announced, fiddling with her necklace. When she heard her name and title through the doors, they opened wide, allowing her to float into the room. After the usual walk down the aisle, she took her seat next to her mother at the dining table.

King Cepheus stood from his seat, his loud voice booming, "People of Aethiopia, tonight is no ordinary feast." Chatter started at the dining table but the king quickly hushed his subjects. "For tonight is very special for my only child, Andromeda." The princess' head snapped to her father and her eyes widened in surprise. She glanced at her mother for answers, only for the queen to smile and look pointedly over her shoulder.

Andromeda turned her head and her brown eyes met hazel. As Perseus walked closer to her, the band in the hall began to play music. She slowly rose from her seat and faced him, her brows furrowed. The warrior stopped in front of the princess and got down on one knee, taking her hand in his and holding a golden ring.

"Andromeda," He started, looking up at her, "From the first time I laid eyes on you, I have loved you. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and I would be honored if you would be my wife."

The bronzed beauty bit her lip and nodded hastily, a smile beginning to spread over her face. "Yes." She whispered, before speaking louder, "Yes!"

Perseus grinned and slid the ring on her finger, standing up and pressing his lips against Andromeda's. The room erupted in applause and cheers while they kissed. They pulled away and smiled brightly at each other. The rest of the dinner was spent as an Engagement Banquet. People gave remarks and brought gifts, Andromeda and Perseus were honored, and music was played. They were to be married a month from the day; the ceremony was already being planned by the Queen.

In the middle of the party, Perseus tugged on Andromeda's hand and the two of them sneaked away, heading to their secret place on the lawn. The couple laid on their backs and stared at the stars, their hands entwined.

Andromeda looked at her hand, marveling at the way the golden band echoed the swirling of a vine wrapping around her finger. It seemed as if the princess stared at her ring for a moment too long because the band appeared to move; it circled around her finger and began to tighten itself. The beauty's eyes widened and she watched the ring began to tint green.

"Meda?" Perseus' voice brought her out of her trance and she looked over to him; her ring returning back to normal. "Are you alright?"

Andromeda smiled widely, her white teeth brighter than the moon's glow, "Of course! We are getting married; I could not be happier, even if Zeus himself came down and asked me for my hand."

"Well let us hope that he does not get a glimpse of your beauty." Perseus replied with a smirk, his thumb brushing against her hand.

The princess giggled breathily, laying her head on her husband-to-be's shoulder. "I love you."

The warrior laid his head on hers and breathed back, "And I you, Andromeda." They were silent for a moment, just watching the stars as the heavens looked over them. Perseus opened his mouth to speak once more, his lips against Andromeda's forehead, "I promise that I will always protect you; I will never leave your side. I will never stray nor will my eye wander."

"Are you practicing your vows, love?" The princess teased and Perseus pulled away from her, tilting her chin up to look in her eyes.

"I promise that you will hear those words everyday from me." He paused, searching her eyes, "I mean it, Meda."

"I know you do." The beauty breathed, leaning up and pressing her lips against his. The warrior kissed her back quickly, the both of their lips easily moving against each other. Andromeda leaned back on the soft grass and Perseus carefully climbed on top of her, placing his hand on her waist.

That night, under the light of the moon and the glow of the stars; Andromeda was deflowered.


	19. Wedding

(A/N: This chapter has a lot of violence. Just a heads up.)

The day was bright and the sun was high in the air, warming the kingdom of Aethiopia. Everything seemed to be brighter: the greens of the leaves, the blues of the sky, the teals of the ocean and the air was clear and fresh.

The princess of Aethiopia paced back and forth in her bedroom, fiddling with her fingers. A white beautiful white gown was draped over her body; the neckline scooped just above her breasts, the sleeves came to her wrists and the skirt of the dress was tied to both of her middle fingers. Her curls were styled in a chignon with random tendrils left out around her head, and a golden crown that looked like woven branches was placed on her head, attached to the crown was a long veil. White, decorative slippers were on her feet and her nails were cut and shined. Her face was glowing as always, even though the expression she wore was closer to anxious than jubilant.

Her footsteps echoed as she paced, speaking her vows under her breath over and over again, and her breath was heavy. She was a bundle of nerves and she did not know what to expect. She had never been married after all, and she was afraid she would trip, or forget her vows or worse.

Was it too late for her to run?

A knock sounded at her door and it was a guard that was sent to retrieve her for the ceremony. She was escorted through the halls and to a chariot that was decorated for the occasion, with bows, ribbons, and gold. The chariot was empty, Andromeda had it all to herself, and it was open, so the citizens could see her.

As the chariot slowly began along the trail to the wedding, Aethiopians gathered around it, cheering. Andromeda sat up straighter and waved regally, a smile on her face. She did all of the 'princess' things on the way to the wedding, despite her nerves: she blew kisses, she kissed babies, and accepted flowers.

When the chariot pulled up to the ceremony, soft music started to play and her father stood before her, helping her out of the carriage. He offered her his arm and she took it, escorting her down the aisle.

The wedding setting was beautiful and it appeared everyone from kingdoms over had arrived to attend. The ceremony was placed on the coast of the Atlantic, the water creating a scenic backdrop for the wedding. The wedding arch was placed with the back of it to the water and was wrapped in green vines and gardenias. A white sheet was placed along the aisle and at the end of it stood Perseus.

All eyes were on her as she slowly made her way down the aisle, but the only eyes she cared about were hazel and shining. Time seemed to slow down around her and the noise was silenced as she approached the wedding arch.

Andromeda stood in front of her beloved and her father let go of her hand, pecking her on the cheek and standing in the middle of the two lovers. The guest sat in their seats and the ceremony began.

Andromeda and Perseus placed their hands in on each others and King Cepheus placed his hands over theirs, beginning to recite the ceremonious words.

"Citizens of Aethiopia and guests of other kingdoms, we are gathered here today to wed my only daughter, Princess Andromeda, and the warrior that saved our kingdom, Sir Perseus the Strong…"

It seemed as if as soon as Andromeda was in front of Perseus, all of her doubts disappeared and she was jubilant once again. As her father droned on and on, Andromeda let her gaze wander to the crowd, where she saw her mother sitting proudly, her face glowing with pride. She saw Cosima and Ares sitting together, the bump of a forming babe in the albino woman's stomach. She also saw Iola and Nikola sitting with Andres in his father's lap. They all looked so beautiful and bright, and Andromeda wanted to picture them like this forever. All happy, all proud to see her.

She turned back to Perseus and he gave her a small smile, knowing how she sometimes got carried away in her own mind. Andromeda smiled back and bit her lip as Perseus started to recite his vows. In what seemed like a quick moment, it was Andromeda's turn. As soon as she opened her mouth, clouds started to appear overhead, blocking the sun.

The princess paid it no mind, "I promise to love and honor…" She paused as the cloud started to light up with lightening. Andromeda quickly finished her vows, fearing that rain would start falling at any minute. She looked to her father and the king pursed his lips, getting to the last part of the ceremony.

"If any of you have any reasons why these two should not be married," King Cepheus' voice echoed, "Speak now or forever hold your peace."

A boom of thunder clapped right after the king spoke, causing nervous chatter to resonate through the guests. King Cepheus opened his mouth to continue the ceremony but thunder clapped again and the water started to ripple, waves starting to crash violently against the coastline. Suddenly, from out the water, a tall, tanned, bearded man with curly brown hair arose. His seafoam green eyes were alit with fiery rage and he pointed his finger at Andromeda. Perseus stood in front of the princess protectively.

"Cepheus, Cassiopeia!" The God's voiced boomed as loud as the thunder he was causing, "How rude of you not to invite me to your daughter's wedding."

"Lord Poseidon," Queen Cassiopeia's voice shook as she stood from her seat and walked over to her daughter, "We apologize for-!"

"Silence!" Poseidon glared at the mortal, a wave bringing him up to the coast. The royal family backed away, frightened of the God. Some of the people in the crowd made a move to leave but the God's glare turned on them, "Sit. Down!" His large footsteps made the ground shake as he walked up to Andromeda, taking her chin in his hands and examining her face. "Well, well, well. You are a pretty one, aren't you?"

"T-t-thank you." The princess whispered shakily, "W-w-what do we owe the pleasure of your presence, my lord?"

"Oh?" Poseidon raised a thick brow before throwing his head back in a laugh. He let go of her face and smirked, "That is right. You poor child, you do not remember."

The princess furrowed her brows and racked her mind for an answer, but one did not come. She looked to her shaking mother but she avoided her eyes, so she looked to her father, though he looked as guilty as her mother.

"I am willing to refresh the memory, child of Aethiopia." Poseidon grinned wickedly, holding his hand out. His triton materialized in his hand from a wave of water and he circled around the family, his eyes amused. "Your mother disrespected me with a compliment towards you. As you know disrespect is not tolerated in any form against the Gods. Because of your mother's insolence I asked that you be sacrificed, a fair trade. Though you seemed to have disappeared when the day came for me to have you…" The God looked back at Cassiopeia pointedly and the queen lowered her eyes, her husband wrapping his arm around her protectively. Poseidon chuckled, "Well all that is left in this mystery is where you went… Where did you send your daughter, Cassiopeia?"

The queen swallowed thickly and raised her eyes to meet the God's brazingly. "I will never tell."

"Oh?" Poseidon raised a thick brow, a cruel smile on his face. "Really?"

"No." Cassiopeia leveled, her eyes glaring disrespectfully.

"Your lord commands you, Cassiopeia." Poseidon's voice boomed and thunder followed after it, "Where was she?"

"Leave her, my lord!" Perseus defended his love's mother, his hazel eyes steady. "Please take your aggression out on me. I will take the brunt of your anger, not my wife and her family."

Poseidon's eyes fell on the warrior and he turned towards him, his triton standing tall. "She is not your wife yet." The God glowered over the warrior, his eyes narrowed. "You are the one who slayed my beast."

"Aye, my lord." Perseus nodded, his voice even. Andromeda cowered behind him and he spared her a comforting glance before turning back to the God.

Poseidon smirked, "Such power in one so small, but still so foolish." The God's hand tightened around his triton. "But very well, if you want to save your precious 'wife'," The burly man didn't even finish his sentence as he impaled the warrior with his triton, twisting the weapon and pulling it out.

Andromeda let out a cry as his blood splashed on her white gown. Perseus fell back against her and she fell to the ground, cupping his face in her hands. His mouth sputtered out blood as he tried to speak his last words, but Andromeda shushed him, trying to wipe the blood from his face. "It is alright, you are fine. I love you." She muttered, trying to comfort him in his final moments. Perseus smiled up at her and caressed her cheek, paying no mind to the blood that he wiped on her. With one final breath his eyes dimmed over and his smile fell.

A loud chuckle sounded from above Andromeda and she looked up, her eyes glazing over with tears. "Why?" She croaked out, her face stained with blood.

Poseidon looked down at the girl with a smirk, "You owe me a debt and it will be repaid with the blood of the people you love." Thunder clapped after the statement and lightning sliced through the air. Rain and lumps of hail started to fall from the sky and the crowd screamed, running wild in panic.

Andromeda could only watch as people were bludgeoned by hail and struck by lightning. She felt as if she couldn't move, as if all of the screams around her were silenced and she was in a dream. All she could do was sit there with Perseus' body in her lap and watch.

Cosima's leg was bleeding and she was weeping over Ares mangled body. Iola and Nikola were shielding Andres from the hail, tears trailing down their faces. People were getting struck by lightning and the waves from the coastline were beginning to splash onto the land, claiming people for the sea.

Andromeda desperately tried to remember the events that led up to this, but she couldn't and it made her sob. It was like her mind was blank and something was blocking her from seeing it. She clawed at her scalp and tried to force herself into recognizance but it wouldn't work.

Death and destruction was all around her and she could not even fathom it. She raised her shaky bloody hands to her face and swallowed thickly, looking up when her mother ran to her. She looked at her mother in a daze, "Andromeda your father is dead!" Queen Cassiopeia sobbed, her pretty face twisted in a painful grimace, "He was struck by lightening but we have to-!" Blood splashed on Andromeda's face once again and she blinked in shock as the light left her mother's eyes and her body fell on her.

Andromeda's stomach lurched and she swallowed down the bile in her throat, pushing her mother's body away from her and shakily standing up. She looked down at herself and furrowed her brows at the blood, from what she could remember she had not gotten hurt. She looked up at the sky and around her body in confusion; all of the lightning and hail was not even close to hitting her, it seemed to be raining over everyone else.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the sky and trailed all the way to the ground. Andromeda put a hand over her eyes and looked up at the sky in wonder, scared of whatever was coming next. As the light started to fade away, the sound around her seemed to turn itself on and the princess could hear the agonizing screams of her people.

Andromeda's head whipped around and she finally saw the build up of bodies. It hit her all at once. The people she loved, the people who came to her wedding were dying; because of her.

A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped away from the touch, her head snapping to direction of the hand. Time stood still. It was a man with the greenest eyes she had ever seen. They seemed familiar somehow, but she could not place them. The man's skin was pale, the palest she had ever seen, and it was smooth like marble. His hair was inky, black and a texture she had only seen on the Greeks, not anyone in Aethiopia. Was he a visiting noble attending her wedding? He sure dressed like one with his green and black clothing lined in gold. He had an aristocratic, straight nose and thin lips, thinner than she'd ever seen. The man was beautiful.

"Who are you?" Andromeda whispered, and she could have sworn she saw him flinch, though his face stayed stoic. The sounds around her muted themselves once more as he spoke.

"Come with me." The unnamed man muttered, offering his hand to her.

The princess bit her lip and shook her head, looking back to the people suffering because of her. "I...I cannot leave. This is all because of me."

Fingertips were pressed to her cheek and her head was turned toward the stranger once more, "Come with me." He repeated lowly.

Andromeda swallowed and searched his eyes, trying to recall where she's seen them before. "Where?" She asked instead of refusing outright. Something about the man was trustworthy.

"To Asgard." He answered her without hesitation.

Andromeda furrowed her brows, "Where is that?"

The man's face broke into a smirk and he glanced above them, Andromeda following his line of sight. "The sky."

Andromeda's eye twitched and she her hand shot to her forehead. Why was this so familiar? She had done this before… Her thoughts were interrupted when the waves of the coast grew larger and larger, sweeping screaming people up.

"We have to go now, Andromeda." The man breathed her name and her headache increased at the utter. Without a reply, the man wrapped his arm around her waist and she placed a hand on his chest in shock as light flooded around them.

"Wait!" She yelled, her eyes searching the ground below them, "No!" The hold on her waist grew tighter and she buried her head in his chest, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Lips pressed against her forehead and her world went dark, her body going limp.

Loki picked Andromeda up like a bride, gingerly cradling her to his chest. He had whispered a charm to make her sleep, for all of the memories would be too much to take if she were awake. When he arrived in Asgard, he nodded to Heimdall and placed Andromeda on the back of Sleipnir, the horse looking at the beauty with sad eyes.

"It will be alright." The father muttered to his son, petting his mane before mounting him. The horse galloped all the way to the palace without stopping, scared for it's 'mother'. They arrived to the palace and Loki took Andromeda in his arms, walking into his home.

"How is she?" Thor's voice boomed and the sorcerer shushed him with a glare.

"She will be fine if you do not wake her." Loki whispered viciously, carrying her down the hallway.

His older brother followed him, not easing on his interrogation. "Why is she covered in blood?" He asked, his voice quieter.

"It is not hers." Is all Loki said in reply.

"Shouldn't you take her to the infirmary?" Thor inquired as Loki opened the door to her old room. The brothers had spent many nights there after she had left, though neither of them had told the other.

Loki laid Andromeda down gingerly, placing a pillow under her head. His hand caressed her cheek softly, "I would rather her wake up in familiar surroundings than around strangers."

"Ah, but when she wakes up…" Thor trailed off, stroking his beard.

"Yes, she will remember." Loki answered, clearing his throat. "Let us go now; she needs her rest."

Thor nodded and they both left the room, closing the door behind themselves quietly.


	20. Sleep

It was dark and quiet. Andromeda looked around her with furrowed brows as the scene began to light up, the sun rising in the sky. She was dressed in a loose white gown and she was barefoot. She was in front of a sunflower patch, the same sunflower patch Andres had crawled into. She ran a hand through her hair and walked through the stalks of sunflowers, gasping with what she found on the other side.

It was her as a child and she was kneeling before a man. A very pale man.

"I am Prince Loki of Asgard." The man's voice chimed and the child version of her furrowed her brows.

"Where is that?" Her high voice questioned, as the man looked up at the heavens.

"In the sky." The man quipped back and little her gasped.

The scene seemed to rush away from her and Andromeda lost her footing, falling onto the ground, only it wasn't grass; it was the marble floor of her palace. She was in front of the infirmary and the halls were dark, signalling that it was night time.

"Prince Loki!" Her own voice echoed through the halls. Andromeda followed the voice and peeked into the infirmary, her eyes widening when she saw this 'Prince Loki' with her younger self once again. "Look, I'm doing it!" She was holding green fire in her hands.

The prince chuckled, an amused glint in his green eyes, "I see, little princess. Watch this." He whispered something and the green fire turned into a dove, circling around her head before disappearing.

"Are you a witch?"

As the elder Andromeda laughed at her younger self, the scene was pulled away from her again, though this time she did not fall. Her bare feet were in grass once more and she heard herself wailing. She ran to the sound of the cries and found the younger her by the coast with her knees and hands bleeding.

Her hair was braided back in the familiar bun of her childhood and she was wearing her favorite white dress with golden bangles on her wrists. But despite being dress beautifully, her chubby face was screwed into a grimace and her pretty eyes were dewey. Cosima and Ares were trying to shush her and the elder servant was trying to pick her up but she pushed his dark hands away from her. "I want Prince Loki!" She wailed, her voice cracking.

Footsteps sounded from behind her and she turned around, seeing Prince Loki regard the younger her with a frown. "Little princess." He sighed, picking her up and placing her on a large rock. "What happened?"

Little Andromeda shook her head with a sniffle, instead showing her bloody palms to him. The prince sighed once more and a cloth appeared in his hand. He cleaned the blood from her palms and tsked, "I told you not to play by the coastline, did I not?" Little Andromeda just nodded with a pout, her eyes downcast. "It is dangerous and you could drown."

"You would not play with me!" The little princess cried, her tone accusatory, "So I made up a game by myself!"

"Do not blame your misfortunes on me, little one." Loki's tone was strict but his touch was soft as he disinfected her scraped knees. "I told you not to play by the coast." He reiterated, his eyes flickering to her handlers with a glare. The servants lowered their heads in respect and he turned his attention back to the little girl.

"I am sorry." She whispered, looking down. Loki nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks, putting her back on her feet. The little Andromeda turned around to run off but the prince stopped her, pulling something from her ear.

The little girl grinned at the sight of the candy and reached for it, only for Loki to pull it out of her reach. "Be careful." He warned and she nodded, grinning when he handed her the sweet.

The elder Andromeda gazed at the prince watching the younger her with a smile, noting how fond the look in his eyes was. She was swept away again, only this time she landed in a different world.

Memory after memory, place after place she was swept away until she remembered everything. The engagement, the plagues, Asgard, Thor, Loki, the potion that made her forget; everything. She remembered everything.

Andromeda woke up with a deep inhale, sitting straight up in her bed. Her eyes danced around the room and she was relieved to find that she was back on Asgard...that is until she looked down at her bloody gown and the last twenty four hours played in her head.

She tumbled out of bed and walked into her bathroom, the white theme of the room almost blinding her. She looked at herself in the mirror and gasped, raising a shaking hand to the blood on her cheek. Her entire face was bloody and there was dried blood in her hair too. Her crown and veil was still on, though both were stained red.

Andromeda walked out of the bathroom, the only thing she felt was the cold floor against her bare feet. She was numb once more and she felt so weak, like she was withering away. She walked out of her bedroom in a daze, slowly stepping through the halls of the palace.

The princess drifted through the halls like a ghost, her usually fiery eyes empty. People stared at her, but they didn't dare say a word, instead murmuring amongst themselves. Andromeda looked like a corpse bride, her veil and dress flowing behind her like she was walking down a never ending aisle.

Feminine brown eyes widened when they caught sight of Andromeda and they hurried the other way, running through the halls and knocking furiously on a door once they reached their destination. The woman rapped her knuckles harder against the door and it swung open, angry blue eyes staring from the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" Thor exclaimed, glaring at Sif.

"Andromeda is awake and out of her room!" The brunette told her friend desperately.

"What?" Thor breathed incredulously.

Sif nodded, "She is in a blood-stained wedding dress muttering to herself. She has gone mad."

The prince set his jaw and nodded, storming out of his room and toward the direction Sif had pointed in. He looked around the halls and shouted her name, "Andromeda! Andromeda!"

Loki happened to be walking through the halls at the same time as his brother and he furrowed his brows, stopping Thor on his reign of terror. "What are you yelling about, brother?"

"Lady Sif informed me Andromeda was walking around the halls in her bloody wedding dress." Thor stated, his blue eyes still searching for the princess.

"What?" Loki rasped with worried eyes. He then joined his brother in his search for the princess. The pair looked everywhere for the mortal girl before they split up to cover more ground. It seemed like every one of their guess of her whereabouts were wrong, until an idea came into Loki's mind. The dark prince hurried to the destination in his mind and opened the door, finding the mortal princess sitting in the garden. She was staring at nothing with a rose in her hand; the thorns were digging into her palm but she didn't even flinch, even as blood seeped down her arm.

"Andromeda." He muttered but she didn't even acknowledge him. The prince slowly made his way over to her, kneeling next to her spot on the ground. He took the rose from her hand and examined her palm, beginning to whisper an enchantment to heal it.

"No." Andromeda whispered, still not looking at him. "I want the pain."

"Andromeda…" Loki muttered but she shook her head.

"T-t-they are all dead, Loki." The princess murmured, finally turning her head and meeting his eyes. "I killed them."

The prince shushed her as if she was a babe, rubbing her back comfortingly. "You know not what you say, Andromeda."

The princess shook her head once more, her voice void of emotion, "I killed them. It should have been me to die."

"Shut your mouth, girl." Loki snapped, before calming himself and lowering his voice. "Do not say such things."

Andromeda's eyes were empty, no fire and no sap, they were just brown orbs. She looked at nothing again and muttered, "I want to die. I have no reason to live. Everyone I love is dead."

Loki searched her face and frowned to himself. He was quiet for a moment before he moved toward the bronze beauty and lifted her up. "I will take care of you until you are in your right mind."

Andromeda did not say a word, nor did she struggle. Loki also said nothing, instead walking down the hallway towards his rooms. He opened the door to his chambers and charmed it closed behind him. He walked to his bathroom and whispered something under his breath, making water appear in his large porcelain tub. He gingerly placed her in the water and with a flick of his wrist made her clothes disappear from her body.

The prince took off his cloak and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up, grabbing a rag and soaps. He got on his knees in front of the tub and began to wash her. Andromeda just let him have her way with her, moving her like a life sized doll. He scrubbed the blood from her body, his hands lingering against her soft brown skin. When her body was cleaned, Loki moved his attention to her hair. He placed her back against the porcelain wall of the tub and sat behind her, running his hands through her curly hair. He wet her hair and soaped it up, cleaning the dried blood from her scalp.

When he was finished and Andromeda was clean, the bath water was a diluted red color. Loki wrapped Andromeda in a towel and lifted her out of the tub, placing her on the tiled floor. He wiped the water from her body and dressed her in one of his tunics; the shirt coming all the way down to her mid-thigh.

"Can I sleep? I would like to sleep." Andromeda whispered, though she had been asleep for the last day. Loki nodded nonetheless, lifting her up and carrying her to his bed. He lowered her to the mattress and pulled the comforter over her, tucking her in. "Sleep well." The prince murmured as her eyes fluttered closed.

A few hours later the beauty was rustled awake. Her eyes fluttered open and met green ones. "You have to eat." Loki urged, helping her sit up. He placed a tray in her lap with a plate of fruit and a glass of water sat on it. He lifted a piece of fruit to her lips and she leaned forward silently, eating it out of his fingers.

"I had a dream," Andromeda started as she chewed, "That all of this was just a dream and I woke up in my wedding dress with a ring on my finger. It was nice." Loki said nothing, instead helping her drink the water that was in the chalice. The princess looked exhausted. Bags were under her eyes, which were dull like tree bark, her skin did not glow as it usually did, and her usually soft lips were chapped and dry. When Andromeda had eating as much as she could, Loki put the tray off to the side and she slumped back into the bed, falling asleep once more.

In the darkness of her dreams, the sun was shining above her and she was sitting in the garden with a rounded stomach. Her baby began to kick and she smiled down at her belly, rubbing it lovingly. "Meda," Perseus' voice came from the right of her, "What do you think it will be?"

Andromeda smiled prettily at her love, leaning her head on his shoulder, "A girl. I can feel it."

"She will be beautiful like her mother." The warrior winked, rubbing his wife's stomach. "Everything will be alright, Meda." He muttered and she looked at him with furrowed brows. "He will love you better than I could."

"What?" The princess blinked, her hand on her stomach, "Who?"

Perseus smiled at her but said nothing, instead continuing to rub her belly. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her stomach, then pressed his ear to it.

"Who are you speaking about, Perseus?" Andromeda questioned again, running a hand through his hair.

"Everything will be alright." The warrior repeated, his voice fading.

Andromeda opened her mother to reply but everything was taking away from her. Her eyes opened to darkness and she sat straight up in the bed. She let out a heavy sigh and looked down at her stomach, finding it flat. She looked to the side of her and saw Loki reading calmly.

Andromeda swallowed thickly and laid down again, pulling the covers over her. "Can you read to me?" She inquired in a voice akin to her younger self's.

His green eyes flickered to hers before returning to his book, flipping a page and beginning to read outloud. Andromeda could not understand what he was saying, but the softness of his voice calmed her. She moved closer to him in the bed and laid her head on his shoulder as he read, her eyes looking at the odd characters on the pages.

"I am sorry." She apologized sleepily after a few pages of reading.

Loki stopped reading and put the book down. "Why are you sorry, pet?"

"I was unkind to you...before I left." Andromeda whispered, still looking at the pages.

He sighed through his nose, shaking his head slightly. "I was deserving of your wrath."

"It was insignificant little acts." The kingdomless princess murmured, closing her eyes. "Things can be taken away so quickly, everything is insignificant. My life is but only a the length of a candle wick; it can be blown out so quickly. I see that now."

Loki said nothing else, instead raising his book and continuing to read. Though his words were from the script, his mind was somewhere else entirely.


	21. Liquor of Youth

Andromeda's eyes were tightly closed and her lips were pursed as her lungs burned from lack of oxygen. Her body was bare and her curls were wildly floating around her. She stayed under for a moment more before kicking her feet and breaking the surface of the water, taking a huge breath. She ran a hand through her hair and floated on her back for a moment, looking like a sea nymph or a beautiful siren.

She stared into the sky and squinted her eyes at the light of the Asgardian sun. The sky, as always, was beautiful and vibrant and the water around her seemed to mirror the heavens above. She paddled herself around the hidden lake, her arms out to her sides.

These days, Andromeda like to be alone. She did not socialize with everyone as she once did and a smile was rare on the pretty woman's face. She would spend her days in the garden, walking around the castle, and swimming. At least she was out of bed, for the first week of her being back in Asgard she stayed in bed. A certain prince's bed.

As a matter of fact she still stayed in Loki's chambers, though most of the time he was not there. She would wake up and breakfast would be brought to her, then she would get dressed. She would go do her activity of the day then she would come back and eat lunch alone. When the day was done, the maids would bath her and dress her for bed, where Loki would be waiting with a book. He would read to her and she would fall asleep.

"Andromeda!" A deep, booming voice reverberated through the trees. The kingdomless princess' eyes widened and she took a deep breath before diving under the water. Thor looked at the lake curiously before turning to his mother, "I could have sworn I heard the water moving."

Queen Frigga smiled at her son and patted his arm. "You should go back to the castle, my son. I am sure she is somewhere." The prince nodded to his mother and left her, making his way back to the castle.

The queen's smile grew as deep brown eyes and smooth bronze skin peeked from the surface of the lake. "I knew I sensed you, princess."

Andromeda sighed, bubbles coming out of her mouth. She raised her head above the water, "With all due respect, Queen Frigga, I am not a princess anymore. For what is a princess with no kingdom?"

Queen Frigga just continued to smile in that motherly way she does and crossed her hands in front of her. "Aethiopia's legacy will continue to live as long as you do."

"That will not be long." Andromeda replied, not meaning to sound as bitter as she did. "I am sorry for my flippant tone." She hastily said and Queen Frigga waved it off.

"You are fine, little princess. I have come to inform you of a meeting with my husband and I."

Andromeda furrowed her brows and bit her lip, nervously pushing the water around her. "Am I in trouble?"

Queen Frigga laughed and it sounded like bells, "Heavens no! We would like to discuss something with you. My sons will be there as well." At the mention of the princes, the beauty sank deeper into the water. "It will be after lunch, so do not be late, Princess Andromeda."

"Yes, Queen Frigga." The princess nodded and the Queen winked at her before walking off. Andromeda floated there for a few more moments, basking in the warmth of the sun like a gazelle, before getting out the water. She draped her dress over her, the material clinging to her wet body. The bronze girl never brought a towel for the chilled feeling of the air reminded her that she was alive. Nowadays it seemed like she needed to feel something so her mind could be grounded, whether it be chilly air or rocks digging into her feet.

Andromeda rang her wet hair out, the water dripping from her long curls. She began to follow the path to the palace before getting distracted, hearing a horse's loud neighs. The princess turned the other way and made her way to the stables, pausing in the doorway to see what the commotion was.

Sleipnir was throwing a fit and giving his caretakers hell. The big black steed was bucking against his reigns and throwing the field hands every which way; his green eyes glaring and angry. Suddenly, Sleipnir huffed angrily and bucked through the stable gate, galloping away. The stable hands yelled after the horse, calling for the guards to come and retrieve him.

Andromeda sighed and bunched her damp skirt in her hands, beginning to run after the horse. The short woman tried to keep up as well as she could, not calling for the horse in fear of spooking him. She followed her child until he reached the top of a cliff overlooking the kingdom, where he stopped and sat.

Andromeda caught her breath and lowered her skirt, approaching Sleipnir slowly. She sat in the grass next to her son and looked out over the horizon, placing a hand on the back of his head. "Beautiful steed of noir," She whispered, her words sweet, "Why did you run?" Sleipnir made no noise in response, only continuing to look at the sky. "I understand," Andromeda sighed, "Sometimes you just want to be alone." She made a move to get up but Sleipnir rested his head on her lap, preventing her from moving. The surrogate mother just petted her sons head, knowing the look in his eyes. The two just sat there and forgot about the time, just enjoying each other's company.

A little over two hours later, footsteps approached the pair and a voice rang out, "You missed your meeting."

Andromeda looked over her shoulder and held a finger to her lips, gesturing down to the horse asleep in her lap. "I apologize." She whispered, petting Sleipnir's head.

Loki sighed and walked up to her, sitting beside the princess. "I should have known the two of you were together." He commented, glancing at his son in her lap, "You baby him."

"Someone has to." Andromeda retorted, narrowing her eyes, "If everyone was kinder to him he would not be so miserable."

"Spoken like a true mother." The prince stated before noting, "You take care of everyone but yourself."

Andromeda averted her eyes and stared out into the horizon. "I did not mean to be so careless and disrespect your family by missing our meeting. What was the topic of discussion?"

"You will found out later in the day. But for now," Loki stood up, offering his hand to her, "Let us return to the palace." The princess nodded and nudged Sleipnir's head out of her lap, taking Loki's hand and standing up. "Hold on." He muttered, teleporting the both of them into the castle.

"It is nice of you to join us." Queen Frigga's voice reverberated off the golden walls of the throne room.

Andromeda's face heated up and she bowed her head as Loki left her side to join his family on the mantle. "I apologize for my tardiness, your highness."

"It is alright child, raise." King Odin raised his hand and Andromeda obeyed. "Has Prince Loki informed you of the purpose of this meeting?"

"No, sir."

King Odin nodded, stroking his beard. "Princess Andromeda you have been in Asgard for a month. Aethiopia has fallen and because of the tragic event that led to the demise of your kingdom I do not wish to return you to Midgard."

Andromeda nodded in reply and continued to listen to the king speak. "I have spoken to my advisors, the royal court and my family and we have all decided to invite you to become an honorary Asgardian citizen. You would keep your title of Princess of Aethiopia, but you also would have a home here in the palace."

The princess' mouth dropped and her eyes widened, a furrow in her brow. "What?" She babbled articulately.

"We want you to stay with us, dear." Queen Frigga said with a smile, "If you would like to, of course."

"You have no family left on Midgard," Thor added flatly, "It would not be wise for us to return you to your realm with no home."

Andromeda's fingers twiddled the pendant of her necklace nervously as she thought about what was being said to her. What other choice did she have? She had nowhere to go and they had been so kind to her. She looked at each individual face staring down at her: Odin's face was stern but inquisitive, Frigga's face was kind and motherly, Thor's face was oddly blank and Loki's eyes were ushering her to agree. "Alright." She finally said, cupping her fingers in front of her.

"Excellent," King Odin boomed, the ghost of a smile on his face, "the ritual will take place tonight."

"Ritual?" Andromeda asked with furrowed brows.

The Allfather raised his eyebrows, "You have agreed to the ceremony yet you do not know what it is?" Andromeda's cheeks flushed and she bowed her head, making the king chuckle.

"Beloved." Frigga lightly chided, nudging her husband. She turned to the princess with a light smile, "For a mortal such as yourself to become an Asgardian citizen you must first be blessed by the elder sorcerers then you will drink the Veigr Ykkar Ungmenni."

"The Liquor of Youth." Loki translated as Andromeda furrowed her brows.

Frigga nodded, "You will sleep for a time but when you awake…" She trailed off, motioning to herself, "Your life will be extended."

"If it takes." Odin added, stroking his beard.

Andromeda's head snapped up, "If?" She questioned lowly.

"What my family has failed to mention," Thor started, his blue eyes narrowed, "Is the possibility of death. If your body is not strong enough to contain the liquor, you will die."

Andromeda let out a shaky breath and looked to Queen Frigga, "Is this true?"

The queen looked away with a solemn face and her husband answered for her, "Yes. I understand if you do not want to continue-!"

"I do not care." Andromeda boldly declared her brown eyes turning to embers for the first time in a month.

"Andromeda!" Thor called but the beauty shook her head.

"I want to do it." The princess vocalized looking at the King with sure eyes. "I want to become an Asgardian and I do not care what it takes."

The Allfather nodded, a smirk on his face, "So be it. Prepare yourself as the ceremony will take place tonight. You may go."

"Thank you." Andromeda bowed and left the throne room, picking up her pace when she heard thunderous footsteps following behind her. She kept her gaze forward even as a large hand grabbed her arm and made her turn around.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Thor's voice boomed making Andromeda flinch.

"No," She sneered, snatching her arm out of his grasp, "But I am sure you are going to tell me where to find it."

Thor exhaled harshly through his nose, ushering Andromeda behind a pillar. He leaned over her and searched her face with his blue eyes, "You could die."

Andromeda licked her lips, "I cannot continue to live with such uncertainty about my life. As a mortal I could truly die at any minute, at least now I would be able to live with the comfort of being one of you."

"You want this that badly?" Thor questioned, his nostrils flaring furiously, "You would risk your life? We are not immortal or indestructible Andromeda, our lives are not perfect just because they are extensive."

Andromeda took a breath and looked down, setting her jaw. She looked back up at Thor after a moment and he saw tears brimming her eyes. "Every mortal I have known and loved has died. My parents, my friends, my love…" She paused and swallowed, "And it was all because of me. What was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life turned into the most tragic and I am the last Aethiopian left. I am miserable but I am trying to heal myself, yet you speak to me like I am being selfish."

Thor looked away from her, her words provoking shame in him. Andromeda placed a small hand on his cheek and turned his face towards hers once more, looking into his eyes. "You should be happy," She whispered, her brows furrowing, "I could be hanging from a tree or drowning in a tub but instead I am choosing to prolong my life instead of ending it." Her thumb brushed against his cheek and she removed her hand, cupping both of them in front of her. "Thank you for your concern but I have made up my mind. Excuse me." She gathered her skirt and walked away leaving the golden prince standing there for the first time of many to come.

Andromeda found her way to the garden and sat on the pebbled walkway, playing with a picked flower. Every time she picked a petal off, it grew back just as quickly. She felt as if she were the flower, refusing to die under any circumstance.

"Are you frightened?" Loki's voice rang out from the doorway of the garden.

Andromeda turned to her caretaker and shook her head, watching as he sat down on the stone bench behind her. "Are you frightened for me?" She retorted, crossing her legs like a child and facing him.

Loki shook his head with a smirk, "It was my idea; I knew you would be strong enough to handle the Veigr Ykkarr Ungmenni."

Andromeda tilted her head in question, "How could you be so sure?"

The prince leaned forward, lowering his voice, "You have already suffered an unimaginable tragedy and have been able to continue to live. A pathetic little potion would not even be able to harm you." He stated, his intense green eyes on hers.

The beauty's face flushed and a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips, her eyes flickering down to avoid his gaze. "You always made me smile."

"Why do you speak as if in the past, little one?" Loki questioned, raising a brow.

"Why do you always call me 'little'?" Andromeda retorted, "I may not be as old as you but I am a grown woman. At twenty, I could even be considered an old maid."

"Technically," Loki started with a smirk, "You are twenty-one. Though when you are as old as I, you stop counting the years." Andromeda rolled her eyes and he chuckled, reaching out a hand and brushing her cheek, "It is a term of endearment, I assure you." Andromeda tilted her head into his hand and stared up at the prince. Loki's eyes searched her face and opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted by a maid.

"Princess Andromeda, it is time to prepare you for the ceremony."

Andromeda sighed and nodded, standing up from the cobblestone trail. She began to walk towards the maid but paused and turned around, quickly walking back to Loki and placing a kiss on his cheek. She lingered there for a moment, before turning on her heel and walking out of the garden.

She was lead to her old bedroom and straight to the bathroom where a tub full of hot water was waiting for her. She was wiped pure of impurities and her curls were made soft once more. When she was clean, she was dried off and dressed in a pure white dress with skinny straps that draped over her body like a robe. Half her hair got pinned back and a silver crown was placed on her head, though her face was left bare of any powder. The maid told her she needed to be in her purest form.

The princess was led to a small golden room with a large illuminated stone in the middle of the room. Pillars with large bowls on them contained fire that lit the room. Four women in blue robes stood around the stone with blank faces, though the oldest of the women smiled at her.

"Lay down, princess."

Andromeda obeyed and laid on the stone, the light molding to her body. One of the women in blue then began to sprinkle something on her skin as another began to recite words in a foreign tongue. The elder woman in blue flicked her fingers and an orange light appeared above her. She marveled at the illumination and blinked as a woman dipped her thumb in the liquid and drew a symbol on her forehead.

This continued for a few more moments before the elder woman waved the lights away and took a golden goblet from one of the other women. "Sit up and drink this."

Andromeda took the goblet from the woman's hands and obeyed, feeling the liquid go down her throat like small bursts of fire. She drank all of it and made a move to hand the goblet back to the woman, but she dropped it as pain surged through her stomach. She vaguely felt hands press her body back down to the stone and she struggled against them, her breathing becoming ragged. Invisible knives dug into all parts of her body and the air flowing through her lungs like thick pools of water. She began to panic; She couldn't breath.

The women in blue looked at each other worriedly, and the eldest one murmured something to the others and they nodded. That was the last thing Andromeda saw before she passed out from the pain.

"This one cannot die." The elder woman muttered, making Andromeda's aura appear above her body again.

"She is barely alive, Ubon." One of the younger nurses stated, checking the girl's pulse. "Her heart beat is slow."

Ubon looked down at the girl with a frown, every so often she would twitch and her face would twist into a grimace. "Ingrid, quietly alert the queen." She whispered, navigating through the girl's soul forge.

In another moment, Queen Frigga was walking through the door. "What is the matter?" She questioned, looking over a twitching Andromeda. "Why is her aura so light?"

"She is barely with us, my Queen." Ubon informed the royal, her fingers making quick work of the girl's soul.

Frigga turned to the sorceress and lowered her voice, "She cannot die. I am entrusting you with this girl's life and I would be very," The queen stressed the word, "Upset if she were to perish. So upset that you might lose your home here in the kingdom...or anywhere else for that matter."

Ubon paused and swallowed thickly, nodding at the royal woman's threat. Frigga gave the woman one last scathing look before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her, a light of green surrounding her as she transformed from the Queen to the youngest prince.

"How could you be so selfish?" Thor's thunderous voice greeted Loki as he entered the training grounds. "For all we know Andromeda could be lying in her death bed."

Loki sighed boredly and narrowed his eyes at his brother, "I assure you she is not deceased. I do not know how extending someone's life can be considered selfish…"

"Oh brother do not jest with me." Thor barked, his blue eyes glaring. "I know the only reason you wanted Andromeda to drink the Veigr Ykkarr Ungmenni was so she would live long enough to be a suitable companion for you!"

"Your delusions amuse me, brother. You think me that clever?" Loki raised an eyebrow and Thor huffed, narrowing his eyes.

The golden prince took a step towards his brother and glowered at him, lowering his voice, "Just understand that if she perishes; so will you."

The threat reminded Loki of the earlier threat he made to the nurse and he chuckled, "Duly noted, brother. Are you going to threaten Mother and Father, too? They did play a part in my dastardly plan."

"No," Thor nearly growled, clenching his jaw, "Just. You." The golden prince walked by his brother and nudged him with his strong shoulder, stalking away.

Loki's easy-going smirk dropped and he straightened his cloak, turning on his heel and walking back to the infirmary.


	22. Dreams

(A/N: I can't reply to every comment but I just want to let you guys know I'm so thankful for all of you. Enjoy.)

In the week that Andromeda was lying on the stone, the royal family was in turmoil. Loki would stay in the room with the princess everyday, disguised as his mother. That was until Queen Frigga learned of his exploits and put an end to it. The queen herself was a little troubled by how long it was taking for Andromeda's body to take the potion. She had seen her lifeforce paling by the day and it alarmed her, but she did not dare say a word to this to either of her sons.

Thor would also visit Andromeda everyday, though he would bring a white flower from her favorite garden and place it by her side. He would gaze down at her with a face bare of any emotion, stroking his beard. After he would leave the room, he would train to alleviate his frustration.

Loki felt the guiltiest about Andromeda's condition, so guilty that it would keep him up at night. When he did sleep, he would wake in a cold sweat, the spirit of the princess coming to him in his sleep. She would just stand there and stare, not saying a word, and Loki would cry, though he would not let anyone see his sorrow. To everyone else in the palace he was fine, barely touched by the princess' state. His ruse was so believable, Thor got angrier and angrier with his brother. This feeling of resentment grew and grew and on the seventh day of Andromeda being asleep, Thor finally confronted Loki.

The younger prince was sitting in the library, looking for spells and potions to awaken Andromeda when Thor stomped in.

"Andromeda's condition grows more dire by the day and all you do is sit on your rear end and read! Not even the least bit bothered by the trouble you have caused!" Thor accused, point a meaty finger at his brother.

Loki closed his book with a sigh and stood from his desk, "Are you finished?"

Thor's face turned red and his glare intensified, "You have all but killed her and for what? To fit your perfect image of a wife?"

"She is not dead yet, brother, so you should mind your words." Loki warned with a glare of his own, "And this was not for me, this was for her own good."

The elder prince let out a mocking laugh, crossing his arms. "For her? You think I am daft?"

"Well…" Loki trailed with a smirk and his brother's eyes narrowed. The elder boy gripped the lapels of Loki's cloak and lifted him, pushing him harshly against the wall.

"I still mean what I have said, brother," He spit out the term of endearment mockingly, "If she is to die-!"

"I will perish, too. You have made that quite clear." Loki finished with a roll of his eyes before they turned dark. "But the blame will not only be mine, for you did not have enough charm to convince her not to drink the potion."

Thor pushed him against the wall once more, "You know why I could not!" He shouted, his voice shaking the bibliotech walls, "You know why!"

Loki smirked, "Do I? Maybe you could refresh my memory, brother."

"You know your words hold more weight than mine." Thor muttered, setting Loki on his feet and stepping away with shaking fists. "That is all I will say about it."

"She loves me." The younger prince supplied smoothly, "She runs to me and not you, it must be a rare occurrence for you to have someone prefer me over you, golden prince of Asgard."

Thor huffed, "Not this again, Loki, they love us both equally."

Loki chuckled humorlessly, "Oh but everyone knows the favorite is the first born. The all-mighty Thor. You are so used to being favored that you cannot take that this time I am the victor."

"She is not a prize to be won-!" Thor started but Loki interrupted him.

"Isn't she?" He shouted, his calm resolve broken. "It is like everything else, except despite all of my other pitfalls in life, I won the best prize of all! I took care of her, I bathed her, I cared for her, I read her to sleep like a babe. She is mine, I have placed my mark on her ever since she was a child."

Thor shook his head, unimpressed, "In your arrogance you have killed her." He muttered darkly.

"Don't you think I know that?" Loki snapped, "Don't you know that I am in the infirmary with her everyday, willing her to move a finger? Don't you know that I can not sleep at night because what I have done? I am trying to fix it!"

Thor opened his mouth to reply but Queen Frigga's voice rang from behind him, "You mustn't fight, my sons." Her tone managed to calm both of the men, their heads hanging in shame. "I know the both of you care for Princess Andromeda, but at this critical time she would not want the both of you to be fighting." She floated over to both of them and put a hand on Thor's arm, while putting her other hand on Loki's. "I am disappointed in both of you for your words today, but there is a girl fighting for her life on the other side of the castle. You two should be channeling your emotion towards helping her, not besting each other." With that, the queen left her sons in the library, her words resonating through both of them in different ways.

After their mother left, Thor left the library. His large footsteps echoed throughout the hallway and he slammed the door to his chambers once he reached them. His maids made busywork of undressing him and bathing him in his tub, though unlike he usually did, no indecent remarks or risque actions were made. He simply stared into space.

He was dressed in his nightclothes, only a pair of satin sleep pants, and he dismissed them for the night. He laid back on his bed and stared at his ceiling, which, like all the ceilings in the palace, was painted to resemble the Asgardian sky. His head rolled to the side and he caught sight of a white flower on his nightstand. He reached for it and brought it up to his nose, lightly smelling it. The smell reminded him of Andromeda, though hers was more Midgardian, like the smell of her planet.

He played with the soft petals of the flower and thought about her soft skin, the color of bronzed tree bark, though much more appealing. He imagined if he told her this comparison she would be upset...He was never really good with words. Not like Loki.

At the thought of his brother, he crushed the flower.

It was his fault that his...that Andromeda was unconscious and damn near dead. He did not mean what he said about killing Loki if she dies, he could never harm his brother in such a way, but he was not sure he would be able to contain himself when the inevitable happens.

Somewhere between brooding over his brother and thinking about Andromeda, Thor fell asleep.

In the darkness of his dreams, he was riding on a horse, the noble steed galloping proudly. He had his armor on and his new weapon, Mjolnir was fastened to his side. He was riding toward his golden palace and an army was following him.

"King Thor!" "King Thor!" His people yelled for him and he grinned at them with a wave.

He reached his home and got off his horse, walking in the doors of the palace. He took off his helm and placed it on a pillow a maid was holding up for him. He ran a hand through his long blonde hair and walked to the his chambers, where his queen was waiting for him.

Thor grinned and leaned against the doorway, watching his wife fix her hair as she sat at a vanity. She looked up at him through the mirror and her face stretched into a smile.

"My King." She greeted teasingly, placing her crown back on her head and standing up. She walked to him and wrapped her slim arms around his waist. She looked up at him through her long lashes, "I am glad to have you back in one piece."

Thor pecked her full lips and muttered against them, "I am glad to be back with you, my Queen."

She smiled at him, her skin flushing, "Did you bring me anything?" She teased and Thor boomed out a laugh.

"Is that all you want from me, woman? Gifts?" Thor questioned, trying to keep his face neutral, but his shining blue eyes gave him away.

The woman giggled and nodded, twirling away from him and walking to her vanity, "Yes, that is why I married you after all. I seem to recall a promise of jewels beyond my wildest desire." She hummed, bending over to look at her reflection.

Thor laughed once more and took a necklace out of his satchel. He walked behind her and pulled her by her dress toward him.

"Thor, stop!" The woman snapped playfully, "The seamstress is already repairing ten of my dresses because you ripped them, we don't want to add another to the pile, you brute!" Her chiding was interrupted by Thor holding up a necklace to her neck.

He smiled at her through the mirror and kissed her shoulder sweetly, "It matches your skin, Andromeda." The queen smiled and he fastened the necklace around her neck, his hands lingering on her soft skin. He spun her around to face him and kiss her nose, murmuring, "Are you still mad at me?"

Andromeda pouted for a moment before it melted into a smile. "Yes." She simply replied, standing on the tips of her toes and kissing her husband. He happily returned the kiss and the two of them fell back on the bed, the king taking his wife.

While Thor was dreaming of Kings and Queens, Loki was dreaming about something much more troubling.

The younger prince had fallen asleep in the library, hunched over a bunch of spell books. In his dreams, he saw Andromeda's face. But it wasn't smiling, nor was it bright, her brown eyes were alit with fire and rage. She was mad at him. Though, she looked just as beautiful as she usually did. She was dressed in pure white and her hair was loose, she looked like she had gotten up from the stone and walked to him. Her lips were poised in a smirk, but she wasn't saying anything complimentary, the opposite actually.

"Snake." She hissed, "Witch, you disgust me." She laughed loudly, "How could I possibly love you? I left for a reason, you fool. All you do is lie and trick, but I will be your fool no longer."

"Why are you saying this?" Loki questioned lowly, his eyes watery. He reached for her and she smacked his hand away with disgust.

"You taunted me. You tormented me. You made me hate myself for moving on." Andromeda sneered, a fiery glow to her skin.

"Andromeda, listen to me! I did no such thing!" Loki retorted and she threw her head back in a striking laugh.

"LIAR!" She shouted, the sky thundering and rain drops starting to fall, "All you do is lie! Night after night, dream after dream. You came to me. You would never speak, you would just stare. And in the day, when I finally thought I would be free of your hold, you watched me. You were always there; I could not escape you! And so now I will return the favor and haunt you for the rest of your miserable life."

Loki swallowed thickly, his rage starting to build from a conversation that was never had. "Do you loathe me that much?" He yelled, matching her volume. "You had to take some mortal potion to forget me?"

"Do not turn this on me, Prince of Asgard, this is your punishment for what you have done!" Andromeda screamed, her eyes flashing.

"I cared for you," Loki continued, walking toward her "I bathed you, I feed you! I protected you-!"

"I DID NOT ASK FOR YOUR PROTECTION!" Her voice boomed and everything around them started to shake.

He walked closer to her, trying again, "But I provided it because of the way I feel about you."

"The way you feel?" Andromeda repeated mockingly, her head tilting in question. She pouted teasingly and the rain stopped for a moment, "And how is that?"

"I…" Loki swallowed, bringing a hand up to her cheek, "I love you."

Andromeda bit her lip and searched his eyes before leaning into his lips and murmuring, "You do not love me, Loki. Not the way Perseus did." Loki felt like all the wind had been knocked out of him, he stepped away from her and stared in shock. Andromeda continued with no remorse, a smirk even starting to line her lips, "He loved me better than you. He never hurt me or lied. He was always complimentary. He was perfect. Why would I choose you over him? A title? HA! I would have been queen, not some puny princess who could never turn into something more."

Loki fell to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks, and she floated over to him, bending down to whisper in his ear, "He is the only man I have loved and laid with; two of which, you will never be."

With that final utterance, his eyes snapped open, as he was being nudged awake by a guard. "What?" He snapped, wiping his face of any trace of the night terror.

"I am sorry to wake you, my liege, but the princess is dead."


	23. Love

(A/N: I'm back! This is the last chapter in the second arch! Next chapter will begin to delve into the events of the first Thor movie!)

Gardenia. All Andromeda could smell was gardenia. Her body felt as if she was floating, like she had ascended to Mount Olympus and was now frolicking with the Gods. She just felt so...light. Oxygen came into her lungs so easily, like she was breathing the freshest air.

"Andromeda." Her name sounded from above and she looked up, where a clear blue sky and bright sun was shining down on her. Suddenly, a brown face blocked her view of the sky.

It was her mother, though she looked younger and her brown eyes were bright. "Andromeda, my pretty girl." She cooed in her face, "You are going to be so special. I just know it. My only baby, my special one. Ruler of men, Andromeda."

"Mother?" She called into the sky, but at that moment her mother's face disappeared. All at once, her mother appeared before her, standing in front of the princess. "Mother, where am I?"

Cassiopeia smiled, her regal face beaming at her daughter. She was dressed all in white and her hair was free, a rare sight for the fallen queen. "Why, Andromeda, you are with me."

Andromeda furrowed her eyebrows, "Am I…?"

Her mother shook her head and smiled once more, reaching forward and cupping her cheeks. "No my beautiful girl, you are just sleeping. I just wanted to visit you." She paused and played with Andromeda's curls, smiling slightly, "I am so proud of you."

"But why?" The princess frowned, looking away from her mother, "I am the reason you are dead; that is nothing to be proud of."

Cassiopeia clicked her teeth and lightly moved Andromeda's face toward hers. "Hush, you are not at fault for what happened. It was my boastful tongue that almost got you killed and I was the cause of Aethiopia's end. I have to live with my decisions in the afterlife, but you will no longer carry that burden on your back. I forbid it."

"Mama how will I be able to continue to live without all of you?" Andromeda questioned, shaking her head and moving her mother's hands from her face. "I feel as if I continue to live and be happy I am betraying your legacy."

The queen put her hands on her daughter's shoulders and looked into her eyes, "The only way you would betray our legacy is if you did not continue it." Her mother wiped the budding tears from her eyes and smiled at her once more. "I'm afraid you have been here with me for too long."

Andromeda furrowed her eyebrows and began to shake her head, "Mama, wait."

"Andromeda…" Cassiopeia's voice slithered around the girl, her body starting to fade. "You must go now, baby, you cannot stay with me any longer."

"But-!"

"I love you, my beautiful girl, and I will always be with you,."

With a burst of breath into her lungs, Andromeda's eyes snapped open and she sat up, her mother's words still echoing through her mind. Her chest heaved up and down as she took in her surroundings; she was in an unfamiliar room, though she was still on a stone bed. The room was decorated with white flowers and banners with unfamiliar writings and it was void of any people. She looked down at her body and discovered that it was covered by a thin white sheet, something she would see on a dead body. Her eyes widened and she looked at the flowers around the room once more confusedly, wondering where she was.

She lowered herself off the stone, shivering as her bare feet touched the granite floor. She held her hands up and stared at them with furrowed brows; she didn't feel any different. She ran her hands along her body, finding no changes there either. She was the same. Her sight wasn't enhanced and neither was her hearing. She was still just plain Andromeda. Or so she thought.

The princess lifted her dress and padded out of the room, looking both ways down the hallway. She made her way through the halls of the palace, stopping for a moment to look out a window at the bright Asgardian sun. The rays hit her skin with such warmth that she felt rejuvenated. For the first time in a long time, she smiled. The visit with her mother made her feel better. She was happy to know her mother gave her a blessing.

Andromeda stopped in front of Loki's chambers and tried to open the door, only to find that it was locked. She raised her hand and knocked her knuckles against the door, standing back and biting her lip. There was a quiet moment where she was nervous and feeling so small in front of the huge double doors, feeling like a little girl again. She raised her hand to knock again, but the door opened before she could and she put her a hand over her mouth to keep from gasping.

Loki looked like death. His skin was a sickly pale, paler than it usually was, and there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead. His eyes were red and they had deep bags under them. His normally sleek, slicked back hair was wavy and wild and his royal robes were replaced with a wrinkled green tunic and black trousers. And now, he was staring at her like he had seen a ghost.

"Oh my…" Andromeda muttered, taking a step towards him and placing a hand on his cheek, "You look terrible." She moved her hand to his forehead, "Are you ill?"

The prince just moved her hand from his forehead and stared at it. His eyes flickered to her face and he frowned deeply, "Is this a trick? Or a dream...I must be dreaming again..."

"A trick?" Andromeda blinked, "I do not understand-!" She was cut off by her own yelp as Loki grabbed her by the forearms.

"Why do you continue to torment me?" He shouted in her face, his green eyes hardened. "Have you not made me suffer enough?"

"Suffer? I-!" She was interrupted again by Loki clutching her arms bruisingly hard. She groaned in pain and something in his face changed. "How is this possible?" Loki whispered, squinting his eyes. "You are dead." Andromeda opened her mouth to protest but he interjected, "Most of Asgard is mourning your death, your body is being prepared to be sent off in an Asgardian death ceremony, I saw the color fade from your face and the breath leave your lips; you are dead!" He dropped his hold on her and stormed into his chambers.

Andromeda followed him step for step, "I am in front of you telling you that I live." She smoothly retorted, her voice soft. The prince paused, his back to her. She stopped behind him, looking at his back. Hesitantly, with the pace of a snail, she weaved her arms through his and embraced him from behind, pressing her cheek to his back. "I am alive." She murmured, her voice as small as a child's.

Loki clenched his jaw and looked down at her arms wrapped around his middle. He could feel her on him; how was that so? Her body was warm and did not have the coldness of the dead. Her sunkissed skin glowed like bronze and her eyes burned like embers. He smelt her scent of Midgardian roses and earth. Her voice sounded just as sweet; was she alive?

Loki swallowed the sob in his throat, placing his arms over hers. A tear left his eye and he turned around, cupping her cheeks in his hands. He looked in her eyes once more before leaning down and pressing his lips to hers tenderly. He exhaled harshly and pulled away, placing his forehead on hers. "I thought I killed you." He breathed, his green eyes brimming with tears once more.

Andromeda put her hands on his and smiled, "Oh come now, sweet prince," She mewled, her voice playful, "You did not think that a simple potion could end me; did you?"

Loki let out a watery chuckle, shaking his head and smiling back at her with squinted eyes. "How foolish of me to think that the girl who cried over a skinned knee would perish from a potion."

"It was not 'a' skinned knee," Andromeda pouted, her voice coming out in a chiming whine, "It was two skinned knees and two skinned hands!"

"I told you not to play by the coastline." The prince murmured, nuzzling his nose against hers.

Andromeda rolled her eyes playfully, "Oh you know I do not take direction well."

"You do not listen." Loki chided lightly, his hands slowly slipping off her face and settling around her shoulders.

Andromeda's eyes fluttered at the light touch and she placed her hands on his chest, looking up at him with her big brown eyes and whispering, "Not to you."

Loki raised an eyebrow and moved his face a little closer to hers, breathing lightly on her lips. "Is that right?" His words danced over her skin and he turned her head slightly to brush his lips against her cheek.

Andromeda's eyes fluttered closed and she swallowed, breathing heavily. She felt his lips move from her cheek to the juncture of her neck and she sighed out, "Yes." Her tongue darted out to wet her lip and in a fluent motion, she grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled his head back, pressing her lips to his.

Loki let out a strangled groan as their lips met, his hands slipping down to Andromeda's bum and gripping it roughly. The princess tugged at his dark locks once more and as their bodies pressed against one another, she felt his desire for her. The prince reached behind her and yanked the ties from her dress, causing the bodice to loosen and the gown to completely crumple to the floor.

Andromeda was rendered completely nude and Loki removed his lips from hers, taking a pert, brown nipple in his mouth. The princess threw her head back in a moan and tugged on his tunic. Loki pulled away from her and pulled it over his head before frantically grabbing the bronze woman and lifting her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. He tangled a hand in her hair and forced her lips to his, gripping her ass in his other hand.

Loki exhaled harshly through his nose and pressed Andromeda against his door, sucking harshly on her plump lips. He reached a hand between them and felt how wet she was, groaning into her mouth. He rubbed her clit, while his other hand fumbled with his trousers. They fell in a heap at his feet and he lined himself up with Andromeda's slit before thrusting into her.

Andromeda slid up the door and threw her head back in a moan, her toes curling. Loki buried his head in the crook of her shoulder, breathing in her scent as he slowly fucked her. "I have waited for this for an eternity, Andromeda." He whispered against her, his breath shallow. "To be buried in your sweet heat, to feel you write underneath me." He sharply thrusted upward and the woman whimpered, her nails digging into his back.

"Gods," Andromeda mewled out, gripping her lover. He was so large and there was a slight curve in his cock, though he was more gifted in length than width; but she had no complaints. "Go faster, Loki." She muttered, pressing his lips to his chest.

The prince pecked the smooth skin of her shoulder and leaned away from her, until they were nose to nose. He peered into her eyes and placed his hands on the door behind her, murmuring, "As you wish, princess." With that, he began to relentlessly fuck her against the door.

Andromeda's eyes closed and her mouth fell open as she began to come apart. Her back arched and she let out a guttural scream, digging her nails into his back as she came. Loki pressed her closer to him and clenched his jaw as he felt his own climax approaching. He inhaled the smell of her again, his eyes rolling in the back of his head as his dream of taking her was finally realized. He repeated her name over and over again as he finished within her tight walls, feeling her lips against his skin.

The two of them stayed joined at the hips for a moment more, catching their breaths. Loki lowered Andromeda to the ground and she gripped him once more, her legs giving out on her.

"Maybe a bath is in order." The prince muttered and the bronze woman nodded with a brilliant smile. He lifted her up and carried her into his bathroom, lowering her into the tub. He seated himself on the other side and flicked his wrist, making warm water fill the tub.

Andromeda pulled her legs closer to her, placing her chin on her knees. She looked over at Loki with a smile, laughing slightly to herself.

"Oh silly girl," Loki growled playfully, raising an eyebrow, "What are you laughing about now?"

The princess just smiled, crawling over to the prince and sitting in his lap then wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He, in turn, gripped her waist and smirked up at her. Andromeda pressed her forehead against his and smiled wider, "I love you." She breathed before pecking his lips.

"And I you." Loki replied, nuzzling his nose against hers.

Andromeda narrowed her eyes teasingly, leaning back when he tried to kiss her once more. "Say it."

The prince smirked and pecked her nose, "I love you." He muttered, then pecked her cheek, "I love you." He repeated, pecking her chin, "I love you." He kissed her neck. He genuinely smiled at her and pressed his lips against hers, caressing her bare back. He pulled away and looked into her eyes, "I love you, Andromeda."

"I know." The princess replied cockily, laughing when her lover pressed her closer to him.

The prince grinned wickedly, a glint in his green eyes, "Show me how much."


	24. Prodding

(A/N: Start of the Third Arch of the story! Fun stuff, hope you all like it! Also, they have officially slept together so the gloves are off, so to speak.)

It had been two centuries since Andromeda had been 'reborn' and all of her days were spent blissfully. She played with the children, swam, read, and even had began to learn to fight. Time flew by so fast when you had an infinite amount of it.

The Asgardian people had begun to regard her as a royal, a dignitary of some sort. The same rumors flew about her marrying one of the sons of Asgard, though some thought she was just a concubine allowed to live in the palace. Those people usually found themselves ousted out of their homes, but she knew nothing about that. Nevertheless, the children loved her and never passed up a chance to play with their favorite princess.

Andromeda's hair was braided to the side and she was dressed in a white gown as she padded through the palace halls. Her mother's crown that she usually wore on her head was covered by a crown made of white flowers that the children constructed for her. Her feet were bare as she opened the door to the library.

The beauty walked through the aisles of books and chewed on her lip, looking for a particular book the queen had recommended. When she found it a victorious smile lit up her face. She grabbed the heavy book and padded out of the bibliotech, heading back towards her chambers. The princess still had her own room, though she stayed within the youngest prince's chambers most of the time. But when they would fight, which was more often than it should have been, she would stomp to her rooms.

Andromeda rounded a corner and jumped when she caught sight of her lover walking towards her. She hid the book behind her back and put on a wide smile as he approached her.

The dark prince stopped in front of her and his eyes danced over her face. He raised an eyebrow, "What are you up to, Andromeda?"

"Now my prince," The princess cooed, clutching the book behind her back, "Why must I always be up to something?"

"Because you are." Loki deadpanned, before looking over her shoulder. "What's behind your back?"

Andromeda looked off to the side before returning her gaze to his face, "My hair." She replied with a smirk. Her lover rolled his eyes before disappearing in front of her and appearing behind her, taking the book from her hands and wrapping his arms around her.

"'Asgardian Marriage Ceremonies'?" He muttered in her ear, tugging her closer to him. "Did my mother give you this?"

Andromeda frowned and pulled away from him, turning on her heel. "No she did not, but she would be in every right to."

"She is just trying to get us to give her grandchildren." Loki rolled his eyes, continuing to walk to his destination.

Andromeda followed behind him, wrapping an arm around his, "It's been a century and a half of unmarried life," She whined, a pretty pout on her face, "My mother would roll over in her grave."

"We do not have to be married for you to bare my children, Andromeda." The prince commented with a smirk, "Odin knows we have been trying."

Andromeda clicked her tongue at his filthy words, though she hid a smirk behind her disgust. "All I am saying is that marriage would not be such a terrible thing! We could do all that we did now, though it would more lawful and just." She lowered her voice and added, "And I would not be a filthy concubine who sleeps with the youngest prince with no promise of marriage."

Loki paused in his step and turned to the bronzed woman with a sigh, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Andromeda, if you would like to get married," He took a breath before continuing, "we can."

The princess scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Oh silver-tongued prince, how you woo me with your words." She retorted dryly. "I know you can do better than that, all of the other women never fail to remind me of how eloquent you are."

"I do not know what you want from me, princess." The prince groaned out, exasperated.

"Oh Loki," Andromeda cooed, placing her hands on his chest and sliding them up until they were around his neck. She looked up into his eyes with her own embers, "All I want," She started, brushing her lips against his, "Is your love." She finished with a breath on his lips. He opened his mouth to reply to her but she beat him to it, "In the shape of a ring."

"Andromeda." He groaned and she laughed, pressing her lips against his sweetly.

"I am just teasing, my prince." The princess mumbled on his lips, "Now where are you running off to?"

"I," Loki started, accentuating the word as he tugged her closer to him, "Have the pleasure of being lucky enough to train with the almighty Thor. Ever since he's gotten that glorified hammer he will not stop challenging me to duels."

Andromeda hummed nuzzling her nose against the crook of his neck, "Wouldn't you rather have lunch with me?"

"Well that all depends, princess," Loki muttered, a smirk spreading across his face, "Will I be consuming food or you?"

"Consumer's choice." Andromeda lowly replied, feeling his grip tighten around her. "Or maybe you could eat the food off of me?"

"Both would be acceptable meals to me, Andromeda." Loki replied, pressing his lips to hers.

"And I would be elated to feed you," The princess smiled prettily, placing her full lips on the column of his neck, "If only I had a ring." She whispered, pulling away from him and dancing away. She looked over her shoulder at him and smirked, letting her dress trail behind her.

When she rounded the corner, her smirk dropped and her eyes narrowed as she made her way to the kitchen of the palace. She walked through the doorway and everyone stopped working to bow to her. With a roll of her eyes she waved them away, walking until she found the woman she was looking for.

"Ragna…" Andromeda called, stopping the burly woman from baking.

"Yes, your highness?" The golden-haired servant inquired, placing her full attention on the royal.

"Am I ugly?" She started, leaning against a pillar, "Do pus-filled boils grow on my face? Is my waist not small enough? Am I not eloquent?"

"You are wonderful, Princess. As close as to perfection as one can be." Ragna assured, with a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"Than why won't he marry me?" Andromeda cried, a frown etched on her face. "Is it because I have no official title? Or maybe he has someone on the side, I have heard the rumors but I never thought-!"

"Princess Andromeda," Ragna interrupted her, her soothing blue eyes on hers, "Nothing is wrong with you and if the prince cannot see that," She leaned towards the young girl, lowering her voice, "Then he is a fool."

"I just want to be a wife and have a large ceremony with flowers and a beautiful white gown with everyone looking at me. Is that so much to ask?"

"Of course not." Ragna cooed, wrapping her arms around the princess and rubbing her back.

Therapy sessions like this were common between the elder servant and the princess. Andromeda had come to regard Ragna as another mother figure, though she was nothing like her actual mother, Cassiopeia.

"Maybe he just needs a little push." Ragna muttered, pulling away from the embrace and holding the princess at arms length. "A reminder of how desired you are. Any Asgardian man would be honored to have you as their wife," She lowered her voice, "Including his brother."

"Gods," Andromeda uttered, shaking her head, "I know I tease but I could never entertain another man's whims. I just need to think of another way."

"All will be well, child." Ragna assured her once more, "I am sure he will propose soon."

"For his sake I hope you are right." Andromeda bit her lip, "If you see Sylvi, please tell her to draw me a bath."

"Of course, Princess. Hope you feel better."

With one last reassuring smile, Andromeda was out of the kitchens and on her way to her chambers. She opened the heavy door and made her way to her bathroom, only to find that her tub was empty. She clicked her teeth and turned on her heel, leaving her room and going to Loki's.

Andromeda opened the door to his chambers and went into his bathroom, proving her suspicions correct; Sylvi had filled his tub instead of hers. She unlaced her dress, letting it fall to the ground and took off her crowns, the golden tiara and her flower crown. She lowered herself in the tub and sighed, her fingers unraveling her braid.

The woman sank all the way into the water before reaching on the side of the tub, grabbing a book from the shelf the kept in the bathroom. She turned to her saved page and began to read a fairy tale, chewing on her lip. She was still on the basics of the language and could only read children's books, but the Asgardian writers were so articulate.

The door to the chambers opened and light footsteps barely made a sound, but Andromeda could hear them. A moment later a body stood in the doorway of the bathroom. The princess did not even bother to look up as the prince walked behind her, kneeling at the mouth of the tub and running a hand through her hair and massaging her scalp.

He hummed, a sound that filled the large room, "Are you still angry at me, my love?" Andromeda did not reply, only mouthed the words to her fairytale. He tilted her head to the side and pressed his lips against her ear, then her neck, then the smooth skin of her shoulder. "Won't you cater to your prince, I am awfully sore from battle."

Andromeda turned her head and met his eye, placing her book to the side of her. "You," She stressed, "Are not my prince, for I am not your wife. I am just a lowly concubine having premarital sex with a royal."

"I could treat you like a concubine, if you would like." Loki said, standing from his kneeling position and stripping himself of his sweat-stained clothing. "And fuck you like the whore you are claiming to be."

"I am not in the mood for your little games, Loki." Andromeda snapped, as he lowered himself in the tub with her. "I am very angry with you and-!" She was interrupted by the prince taking one of her feet in his hands and running his fingers on the sole, "Stop that!" She exclaimed, but he did not, knowing that she would giggle. "I am serious."

"So am I." Loki retorted, lifting her foot to his mouth and kissing her toes.

"Stop that this instant!" Andromeda squeaked through her laughter, as he had taken her other foot in his hand. "I am irritated."

"You are so beautiful when you are vexed at me, my Andromeda." Loki chimed, coming closer to her. Andromeda pressed her hand against his chest to stop him from advancing but he just took it in his hand and kissed her palm. He pressed his lips against her wrist then up her arm until he met her shoulder. "I love you." He whispered to her, pulling back to stare in her eyes. "I will show you how much if you let me."

She scoffed at him and turned her head, a childish pout on her lips. "I do not want sex, I want a ring." She retorted, rising from the tub and bending over to get out. Loki grabbed her hips and held her in place, the front of her body grabbing on to the wall. "What on earth?"

"I love you." He repeated, kneeling behind her and kissing down her spine.

"Loki, really this is not comfortable." Andromeda called, her eyes widening when she felt her cheeks be pulled apart. "Loki!" She repeated, trying to look back, but a large hand forced her head to the wall.

"I love you." He said once again, his voice muffled as he buried his head into her behind. His tongue lapped at her clit a few times before he moved it towards her hole, softly pushing it in and out.

Andromeda gasped and cried out, her sounds echoing in the room. She dribbled down the prince's chin as he devoured her, his hands digging into the softness of her ass. He ate her like a fruit, long strokes with his tongue before he would pucker his lips around her nerve and suck.

He groaned into her and reeled a hand back, landing a smack on her behind like he knew she liked. Andromeda whined and arched her back, a hand grabbing for Loki's inky black hair.

The prince pulled away from her cunt and slid two fingers into her, licking at one of her cheeks before sinking his teeth into it. He fucked her with his fingers and while his other hand made quick circles around her clit.

"Oh Gods, Loki…" Andromeda muttered, her head falling forward.

"I feel you tightening around my fingers, my love." Loki commented, shoving his finger deeper within her and twisting them. "Let go on me, let me have it. Show me how angry you are." He murmured before removing his fingers and placing his mouth on her once more.

He lapped at her heat quickly and she began to fall apart, her knees buckling. She leaned limp on the wall as her body twitched and she melted on to the prince. A slap on each cheek was enough for her to shudder and she bit her lip to keep from groaning like a wanton whore. But the prince did not like her hiding her sounds from him, so he spanked her harder, feeling content when he heard a yelp come from her mouth.

As Andromeda came down from her high, he licked everything he could from her, sitting her in his lap when he was finished.

"The water has grown cold." The princess complained in a breathless whine, her head in the crook of his shoulder.

"Ah," He hummed, wrapping his arms around her, "But you are not. Your skin is as warm as the fire of the sun."

"Oh shut up." Andromeda muttered, tracing the lines of his chest, "I am still upset, though I do love you."

"I am sorry." Loki whispered, his fingers skimming her back. "If I had known marriage meant this much to you I would have proposed long ago."

"You are lying about being obtuse," Andromeda murmured, placing her arms around his shoulders, "But that is alright I suppose." He smirked at her in response before flinching when she hit his shoulder in mock anger. "Oh, what happened?"

"I told you I was sore, Andromeda." Loki groaned, rolling his shoulder, "The oaf still does not know when to quit."

"Do not talk about your brother like that," Andromeda snapped, before softening her voice, "Switch places with me, love." The two moved so that Andromeda's back was against the tub and Loki was now sitting between her legs with his head on her chest. She made quick work of massaging his shoulders, earning a few pleasurable groans from the prince. "Poor, poor prince." She cooed in his ear, "I thought you were lying about being hurt."

"Why must you always assume I am lying?" Loki asked, his eyes closed.

"Because you are." Andromeda deadpanned, running a hand through his hair and massaging his scalp. "You are always deceiving someone, my beautiful prince."

"But you can always see through my tricks, so it is hard to deceive you, my beautiful princess." Loki retorted, a content smile on his face.

Andromeda smiled to herself and just hummed, pressing her lips to his temple.


	25. A King

A thunderous ring of laughter echoed through the meadows of Asgard. Brunette curls bounced and a white dress flowed from behind as a pretty bronze woman ran away from a dozen little children.

"You cannot catch me!" The princess' pretty voice chimed as she darted away from the village babes. She was barefoot and clutching the skirts of her dress in her hands, looking like every bit of a mystical fae.

Andromeda squealed as she was brought down by one of the boys in the group. "I've got you!" He yelled as the other children piled on top of her.

"Indeed you have!" She laughed lifting herself off the ground. She put a hand over her eyes and looked up at the sky, her face dropping once she saw the position of the sun. "Oh Gods…" She muttered, before clapping her hands, "Alright children, today was fun but now I have an appointment to attend!" The children pouted but Andromeda shushed them, waving her hand. "Do not fret for tomorrow I will tell you a tale of Aphrodite and her many suitors!" She bunched her skirts up in her hands and ran to the stables of the small town, freeing her son from the structure.

Sleipnir huffed and she quickly quieted him down, mounting him. "I know I am late but please just get us there, my beautiful boy." The horse nodded and waited until his mother had gotten a good grip on him before taking off. The pair arrived at the palace and Andromeda hopped off of the steed, patting him. "Thank you!" She chimed as the door was opened for her as she began to run through the halls.

The pads of her feet smacked against the golden floors of the palace. She came to the doors of her shared chambers and opened them, rushing to the balcony where her lover was sitting at a table full of food. He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, saying so much and nothing at all.

Andromeda breathed heavily and took a seat across from him, a servant pouring her a chalice of ale. "I apologize for my tardiness. The children just would not let me slip away."

"They adore you." Loki replied dryly, his face expressing annoyance.

"I said I was sorry." Andromeda asserted, furrowing her brows, "What is the matter, love?"

Loki clenched his jaw and looked to the servants, they nodded and left the two lovers alone. He waited for the click of the door before turning his attention back to the princess. "I have just been informed that next week my father will announce Thor as the ruler of Asgard."

"Oh," Andromeda muttered, biting her lip, "That is what the ceremony is for?"

"Yes." Loki nodded once, sighing sadly, "It is not that I am not happy for my brother, I truly am, I am just… For some reason I was hoping that it would change."

"Of course." The princess nodded in understanding, she slid her hand across the table and held his in hers. "It is perfectly understandable. I would feel the same way if I had siblings...or a kingdom for that matter."

"I have always known it would be him." The dark prince looked out to the horizon, a pensive finger to his lips, "It has always been him." He let go of her hand joined it with his other hand, much to Andromeda's chagrin.

"Son of Odin," Andromeda chimed, getting up from her chair. She walked behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her lips against his temple, "You must not dwell on such unhappiness."

Loki regarded her with a scowl, snapping, "How am I supposed to go to the revelries of the week when all I want to do is be alone?"

"So, what?" Andromeda questioned, dropping her arms from him and crossing them over her chest. "You want to wallow in your misery for the rest of the day? Isolating yourself from everyone, including me? What good will that do?" At Loki's silence she nodded victoriously, "Exactly. Did you invite me to lunch today to snap at me or did you want to actually enjoy my company?"

The prince did not reply, instead gazing blankly at the horizon with the same pensive finger to his lips. Andromeda sighed and pressed her lips to his forehead, muttering, "So be it." She stood straight and cast him one last worried glance before leaving her lover to his thoughts.

Andromeda closed the door behind her and shook her head, making her way down the hallway of the palace. Her bare feet padded against the cold linoleum floor as her dress flowed behind her. White had become her signature gown color and she would always be spotted in her two crowns; her mother's gold band and her flower crown that seemed to continuously bloom on her head.

When she arrived at her destination, she raised a petite fist to knock on the large golden door. She did not get an answer, so the princess opened the door with a roll of her eyes. Quietly, she made her way through the gold and ruby chambers, stopping in the doorway of the bedroom, where a sight was to be seen.

Wanton moans filled the large bedroom and the sound of a groaning bed was also heard. Masculine grunting was added to the mix of sounds and the smell of debauchery wafted through the room. A brawny bare back peeked from ruby-colored sheets that just covered the man's royal ass. Sweat trailed down his back and his hair was loose, swinging with every rough thrust. The woman under him was covered completely by his large frame, though she was easily heard to account for her absence of sight.

Andromeda rolled her eyes, completely unfazed by the sight, and made her way to the sitting room of the chambers, grabbing a book and sitting to read it. After about thirty more minutes, a young maiden was trotting out of the bedroom, her cheeks reddened when she saw the princess sitting on the couch. With a bow of her head, she was gone.

The princess snickered under her breath and put down her children's book, floating to the bedroom once again. She peeked inside and saw Thor at a bathing bowl, wiping himself down.

Andromeda walked in tsking her tongue teasingly. "Already reveling in your triumph, Prince Thor?"

The golden prince's head jerked up and he smiled at her wolfishly, doing nothing to hide his endowments. "Andromeda!" He greeted, dragging a cloth over his chest, "How do you dwell on this day?"

"I am well." She answered, opting to lean against a pillar of his bed. "Was she one of your chamber maidens again? You should really slow down, word is getting around and the maids are fighting for reassignments."

Thor bellowed out a laugh, wrapping a towel around his waist. "Careful princess, you sound jealous." He crossed his arms with a smile and leaned toward her, "Did you enjoy the show?"

"I did enjoy how embarrassed she was to see me." Andromeda replied without skipping a beat, "People seem to think that we are betrothed."

"I wonder where they got the idea." Thor muttered, a smirk on his face.

Andromeda rolled her eyes and pushed him away from her with a single finger. "Anyway, I came to congratulate you."

"Oh?" Thor chimed, a brow quirking up.

Andromeda hummed, examining the pieces of jewelry on his messy dresser. It was a far cry from his brother's neat vanity. "You will be crowned King of Asgard next week. The largest honor in all of the land, a dream since you were a babe."

"Yes, of course." Thor nodded, proudly beaming at her. "I am very pleased to be bestowed with such an honor by the Allfather."

The princess hummed again, pursuing her lips. "Thor I would like to ask you a favor." She announced finally, turning around and placing her ember eyes on his. Thor raised a hand to his beard and nodded for her to continue. "Loki is feeling...somber...about this whole ordeal. Now I do not think he is jealous of you, but I believe he is upset because he does not feel he has any importance in the royal court. I would just like to ask, when you are king, if you would place him in a position of high importance."

Thor regarded the princess for a moment, stroking his beard. He said nothing as he walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, "I, King Thor of Asgard, give you, Princess Andromeda of Aethiopia, my word that I will do everything in my power to appoint my brother to be my Royal Advisor." His voice boomed and he placed a fist against his chest. He lowered one of his lids in a wink and moved his hand to cup her face, "Good?"

Andromeda smiled beautifully and nodded, "Perfect. I'm holding you to that, King Thor." She teased, before lowering her voice, "Do not tell your brother that I asked this of you."

"I will not," Thor agreed before smiling wolfishly once more, "If you give me a little assurance yourself, princess."

Andromeda slapped his hands away from her and glared up at him. "Must I remind you that I am to be your sister!"

"Aye," Thor nodded before adding teasingly, "But he did not propose to you yet; I may still have a chance."

"In your dreams!" Andromeda snapped, crossing her arms.

"Aye." The prince nodded again, "It is all I dream about."

Caught off guard, Andromeda's face flushed and her lashes fluttered. Her arms uncrossed themselves and her fingers went to her emerald pendant, twirling it between her fingers nervously.

"I am sorry," Thor muttered, though a smile tried to fight its way to his lips, "Did I offend you?"

"Thor we have talked about this." Andromeda whispered, looking up at the prince solemnly, "I love your brother, it will always be him. This infatuation cannot continue to manifest itself in our relationship. You are a wonderful friend and that is all you should stay."

"Do not speak to me as if I am some lovesick child, Andromeda." Thor warned her, his blue eyes stormy and his fists clenched, "I mourned for you just like he, I longed for you just like he. All those nights you cried on me when he was with another-!"

"Just stop!" Andromeda shouted, "Okay? Just stop. I did not come here to argue with you, I just wanted a favor: as a friend." She slowly padded to him, placing her petite hands on his fists, "Because you are my friend. My best friend. My best friend who is going to be a king."

Thor's eyes softened as he looked down at the beautiful bronze woman, his hands unclenching and lacing with hers. "All I want to do is make you a queen." He muttered, his eyes searching hers, "Any woman would fall at my feet to be my queen; but I only want you. I fill my bed with these maidens when all I want is to wake up with you next to me."

"Stop." Andromeda snapped again, yanking her hands away from his. "Stop saying that to me. I know how you feel and I do not feel the same so please. Just drop it."

Thor frowned deeply, breathing harshly through his nose, but he nodded nonetheless; he never wanted to upset his Andromeda. His friend. His…

Love was such a strong word to the young prince. He had never really put much thought to the notion before. But the moment Andromeda came running to him in tears, his heart seemed to burst from his chest. Every woman he bedded seem to transform into her, though none stood up to her beauty. When he would close his eyes, hers were the ones he saw, her skin was the one he touched and her full mouth emitted sounds that made his own self seem to whimper. But she was also kind and considerate. She was the only woman that would challenge him besides Sif, but Sif was his friend, a constant in his life. Andromeda was his brother's, heart, mind and soul, but he wanted her with every fiber in him. She should be his. His Queen, Queen Andromeda of Asgard. He could have anything in the whole nine realms, but all he wanted was her.

But he bowed his head and bit his tongue, like he always seemed to do. "I am sorry." He muttered, not reaching out for her for fear of her rejecting him. "I did not-!" He stopped himself, "Sorry."

"It is alright, let us just forget it." Andromeda managed a smile, and it lit up her face like the sun lit up the sky. "You have your first celebration tonight, right? I will do your hair just the way you like it!"

Thor nodded with a closed-lipped smile, even chuckling as the small woman pushed him to the bed. He sat on the ground while she sat on the settee in front of his large bed. He closed his eyes as he felt her fingers run through his hair and her nails scratch his scalp. His arms laid on her smooth legs and his neck felt the soft heat of her thick thighs. He wanted to bury his head in those thighs and suffocate. Her fingers skillfully braided little intricate plaits on both sides of his head, before pulling half up with a blue band.

"Thor…" Her beautiful voice called out to him, like an angel calling him to Valhalla, "I am finished."

The prince faked sleep stubbornly, evening out his breathing to fit the part. He heard her soft chuckle and felt her body lightly shake. "Wake up, Thor, do not play dead with me!"

"Your hands are so delicate and gentle," Thor grumbled, finally opening his eyes and looking up at her, "I cannot help but fall asleep."

"Yes, but you have to get ready." Andromeda said, rising from the settee, "You are the guest of honor after all." Thor smiled at her fauxly, the beam not meeting his eyes. Andromeda smiled back, "I have to go and make sure I look wonderful for your party, my liege," She teased the title, before bowing deeply, "See you in a little bit!"

Andromeda left his chambers with a fallen smile and a worried twitch, fiddling with her necklace. She went to her own chambers where Sylvi and Ragna were already waiting for her.

"You are late!" Ragna snapped, with all the maternity of a grandmother, "Get in that tub, the water is getting cold!"

Andromeda laughed and nodded stripping and hopping in the tub. Her body was scrubbed clean and scented with roses, retrieved for her by her wonderful lover during one of his many secret trips to Midgard. He always brought her roses back.

At the thought of her love her smile faded. As Ragna washed the suds from her curls, she began to think. Maybe she could cheer Loki up tonight, and really plant the possibilities of being in the royal court in his head. Make him feel bigger, like he already was her king.

A smile played on her lips, that was it. She would make such good love to him that he would forget about the crown and give her a ring.

The princess was stood up in the tub and a towel was wrapped around her. She was dried meticulously and then was dressed in a robe and seated at her vanity.

"Ragna," Andromeda chimed as her hair was detangled expertly, after all these years Ragna and Sylvi had it down pact, even with the styling, "I would like some very pretty undergarments tonight."

Ragna snickered, "Trying to get the ring, are you?"

"I would suggest an absence of undergarments for that purpose, Princess." Sylvi muttered, yelping when Ragna hit her with a decorative comb.

"Filthy girl!" The elder maid snapped and Andromeda laughed.

"That is a swell idea…" The princess trailed before smirking, "Let's go with that."

"By the nine…" Ragna sighed, securing her long braid with a white ribbon-tied down the length of it. "You are going to get the child pregnant!"

"If she is not pregnant by now…" Sylvi muttered, "But then again, he does work with potions…"

"Girl!" Ragna snapped again, "Go get her dress, filthy!"

Andromeda chuckled at their banter, watching as Ragna brushed gold on to her cheeks to make them shimmer in the light. A light gloss was painted on to her lips and she stood up to be tied into her gown.

It was white, as always, and it had a golden trim. One of her shoulders was bare and the other was covered in a sheer sleeve that flowed as she walked. It cinched at her waist and flowed the rest of the way down, flowing to her feet.

She lowered her head and a golden band was on her head, signifying her nobility. Even if it was Midgardian, the Asgardian still respected her title. A golden cuff was placed on her wrist and golden sandals on her feet, much to her chagrin; she had grown so used to being barefoot.

"I think I am ready ladies, would not want to miss the debauchery!" The princess teased, her teeth standing out against her dark skin.

Ragna shook her head and Sylvi laughed, winking at her.

Andromeda left her chambers and walked through the halls of the palace, going to the grand hall. The moons were just coming up over Asgard and the night was beautiful. The double doors to the hall were already opened and the festivities were in full effect.

Andromeda smiled in greeting at the many people she saw. She grabbed a cup of ale and walked to the main table of the party, throwing an arm around her friend. "How beautiful you look in the moonlight, Lady Sif!" She mocked in a deep voice.

Sif turned around with a glare only for her to boom out a laugh. "You cow!" She greeted, pushing Andromeda's arm off of her, "I thought you were some man!"

"I could be!" Andromeda teased, winking.

Sif laughed once more and shoved her friend. "Shut up! Where is your prince? The youngest one not the King to be." She clarified much to Andromeda's an annoyance.

"I only have one Sif!" The princess called over the music, "And I am not sure! I have not seen him since earlier!"

"Hmm…" Sif hummed with a smirk, "Trouble in the throne room?"

Andromeda's face flushed, "No, we just do not spend every waking moment with another."

"Since when?" Sif asked with a raised brow.

Andromeda narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to reply but two burly arms went around both of their shoulders. "My two favorite maidens!" Thor greeted the two of them with sloppy kisses on their cheeks. "How are the both of you?"

"We should be asking you that, King Thor." Sif teased with a smirk and he threw his head back in a laugh.

"Oh careful Sif, you might inflate my head larger than it already is!" Thor warned her jestingly.

"Yes please stop," Andromeda added, "His helm might not fit."

Thor boomed out a laugh again, shaking the room like thunder and padded the women on the back. "Enjoy the festivities, girls, I will be back!" With that, he walked back into the awaiting crowd.

"Gods, he is already drunker than a fish." Andromeda sighed, taking a sip of her ale.

"He is enjoying himself." Sif waved it off, she looked over Andromeda's shoulder, "It seems your prince is enjoying himself, too."

Andromeda blinked and looked behind her, watching her lover sip out of a chalice. "Excuse me, Sif." She muttered, getting up from the table.

The brunette warrior watched her with worried eyes, shaking her head and returning to her drink.

The princess walked up to the dark prince and tapped him on the shoulder before wrapping her arms around him. She stood on the tips of her toes, "I see you are having a good time." She muttered into his ear.

He turned around in her arms and managed a smile, pressing his lips against her forehead. "Hello, my love."

"Hello to yourself." Andromeda replied with a smile, "Are you feeling better?"

"As much as one could with being always overlooked for one's sibling." Loki bitterly replied as he emptied his chalice in one gulp. He refilled it with a flick of his wrist and sipped the red liquid.

"Alright now," Andromeda uttered, watching him with narrowed eyes, "Please do not get too intoxicated. I have a surprise for you that calls for you to be lucid."

"Oh?" He inquired, a dark brow quirking up, "And what might that surprise be?" His emerald eyes trailed down her body before meeting her eyes once more. "You look ravishing by the way."

"If I told you," Andromeda slipped her hand around his neck, pressing her lips against his lightly, "It would not be a surprise, now would it? Just meet me in your chambers in the first hour of the morning." She nuzzled her nose against his sweetly, "But only if you are positive for the rest of the night. That means," She paused, taking his drink from his hand and taking a sip of her own, "No more drinking, my prince." The princess twirled away from him with a smirk and downed his glass, rejoining her friend seated at the table.

"You are a witch." Sif informed her with a smirk, "You must be a sorcerer to have such a hold on him." Andromeda shrugged with a sheepish smile, putting her chalice down on the table and grabbing a bite to eat. "Or you are not as virtuous as the kingdom would like to believe…"

"Sif!" Andromeda exclaimed, slapping her brunette friend on the arm. The warrior just laughed and stood up from the table, tugging the princess up with her. "I am just jesting! Let us dance!"

Andromeda rolled her eyes but laughed nonetheless, joining her friend on the dance floor. They joined the dance line that was forming and stood in front of each other, bowing jokingly. They stepped forward with their right, then stepped backward. They stepped forward with their left and stepped backward. They moved toward each other and pressed one of their hands against the others, circling around, then stepped back into their line. The music picked up and they stepped forward again, though this time they wrapped a hand around each other's waist and twirled together.

The pair of friends laughed as they took each others hands and spun around, the pretty woman getting amused looks from the crowd. Andromeda cackled so loud she started to snort, causing Sif to laugh louder. They separated and started to dance in front of each other, the traditional dance being forgotten by the two. Sif twirled around with a smile, while Andromeda danced as she once did in Aethiopia, her hips swaying sensually. The princess grabbed the skirts of her gown and flourished them around, making her look like a flying fae.

The song ended and another began, but Andromeda need a moment to catch her breath. "I am going to the wash room, I will be back!" She announced to her warrior friend, casting her a smile as she made her way through the crowd.

She walked into the woman's powder room and took a towel from the waiting servant, casting a friend smile to her. "Thank you." She muttered, as she always did. She wiped the sweat from her breast and her brow, checking her face in the mirror. The loud chatter of a group of women echoed through the room and Andromeda rolled her eyes, moving to leave. As soon as she was seen, the chatter ceased. Being smarter than she was rumored to be, Andromeda paused in the doorway and waited for the conversation to continue.

"Did you see the amount of ale Prince Loki was consuming tonight?" One of the women chatted loudly. "The rumors of his depression must be true."

"Depression? More like envy! Everyone knows that the youngest prince wants to be king." Another woman said with a snort.

"That harpy in his ear is probably not helping." The first woman replied, a smirk no doubt on her lips, "The desperate bitch has lost her kingdom and wants ours, anyone with eyes can see that. That is why she leads on both princes."

"If I were her," The second woman started, puckering her lips, "I would marry Thor and continue to sleep with Loki. Then I would have a kingdom and a tongue to ride."

"Who says she stops there?" The first woman questions, "She probably takes both of them at the same time. The only thing the princes will share is a wanton maiden."

"She looks like she enjoys taking two cocks," The second woman noted, with a snicker, "Look at the way she is shaped. Her hips are so large she can probably take them both in her cunt at once. And her lips are so plump she probably takes the youngest prince in her mouth with no problem."

"Urania did say that the Loki's cock was as long as her forearm, she probably swallows it as if it were candy."

"I can attest to Urania's word," The second woman added, "When he bedded me, I could barely fit half of it in my mouth. He was such a giving lover, not selfish like his brother."

"Thor is not selfish!" The first woman protested, "When he bedded me he made me climax twice."

"You told me he took you from behind and called you that harpy's name." Her friend reminded her, making the woman huff.

"That was only once."

Andromeda shook her head and left the room, putting a hand on her forehead. She felt annoyed by the bitter women's words, but she still had a party to attend. They did not matter, they were just bitter young women.

The princess walked back into the Grand Hall and looked for her prince, furrowing her eyebrows. "Have you seen Loki?" She inquired of Sif, who was currently consuming her weight in food.

"I have not." Sif told her, shrugging, "Ask Thor."

Andromeda nodded and shoved through the crowd to find the soon-to-be King, drinking a large cup of ale and surrounded by busty women. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. "Andromeda!" He exclaimed, a large grin growing on his face. All of the women narrowed their eyes at the pretty woman for taking his attention. He got up from his seat and wrapped his arms around her for the second time that day, lifting her up. "Are you enjoying yourself?" He questioned once he sat her down.

Andromeda nodded with a smile, "I am, thank you for asking, Prince Thor." She finished before adding lowly, "Have you seen your brother?"

Thor's smile fell just a bit before spreading again. "I have not! He might have just gone outside for some air."

"Thank you." Andromeda nodded with a smirk, "You can get back to your harem now."

Thor boomed out a laugh and nodded, winking at her. He turned around with open arms, "Now ladies, who wants to hear of my triumph over the elves of the mountains?"

Andromeda playfully rolled her eyes and left the prince to his disciples, looking for her prince. She pulled her braid over her shoulder and stroked it as she walked outside. The garden was lit with multiple lamps going down the walkway, and the flowers were blooming even without sun.

She walked through the garden, her eyes trying to find the prince. She furrowed her brows when she heard rustling on the other side of the garden. She put a little more speed in her steps and walked around the stone canopy, hoping to find her prince. And she did.

She found her prince with his trousers at his ankles. She found her prince with sweat on his brow. She found her prince inside of a woman who looked nothing like her.

She did not yell, nor did she scream. She just simply turned around and silently made her way back to the Hall.

This had happened before.

The first time was enough to almost kill her; though she almost killed the other woman. She didn't speak to Loki for a whole year, vowing to be silent. Somehow, he wooed her into forgetting, because he always does and she forgave him.

The second time hurt less.

The third time hurt a little more.

The fourth time she chased the woman with a dagger.

He insisted that he loved her, and she knew he did, but he was mischievous. The God of Lies was his title. She always knew when he was lying; at least she thought she did.

But not now. He promised he was true, spending every moment with her and hinting at calls of marriage. He promised.

When she was younger, she caught her father in the arms of another woman. It made her cry and she raced to tell her mother, knowing that it would break her heart. But to her surprise, her mother just smiled at her and nodded, primping her like she always did. Her mother told her that it was healthy and that a man was a man.

Love meant forgiveness and because she loved her husband she would always forgive. Love meant giving up your right to hurt the other person because they hurt you.

"Andromeda!" Thor called for her, cheeks pink with drunkenness, once she was inside the hallway. "Did you find him?"

Andromeda looked up at the blonde prince with a blank face before a pretty smile spread across her features. "No I did not. He probably is in his chambers. Now let us get back to the party, I am dying to try that new ale you were gifted."

As Andromeda placed a hand on Thor's thick bicep and smiled up at him, she decided; she was not her mother.


	26. Revenge Tastes Sweet

(A/N: Enjoy. Thanks for reading and review please!)

Andromeda gulped down another cup of ale from her chalice, laughing from her place beside Thor at a joke he had made. Her head was swimming and her body was light; the scene she had witnessed earlier in the night was far from her mind.

All she was thinking about was how blue Thor's eyes were.

They were such a magnificent blue, crystal clear just like the ocean used to be on Earth. They were also always lit with an emotion, whether it be sad, angry or joyous. He was wonderful, truly. All around kind soul, though he did have his stubborn moments.

She turned to look at Thor, who was in the middle of telling another battle story, and saw that one of his plaits had begun unraveling. Without a second thought, she reached up and rebraided the plait, her fingers moving expertly. She brushed a few stray hairs out of his face and tucked his hair behind his ear tenderly.

Thor continued to tell his story but one of his hands patted her thigh in thanks, though it did not move from its place. Andromeda put her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand, listening to Thor speak. Her eyes trailed to those around her and watched their faces react to the story.

Thor was such a good storyteller. His eyes would grow wide and his voice would lower, than he would roar out a phrase. He was sure to be a great king; when Thor spoke people tended to listen.

As her eyes studied Thor's face, she felt a kick from underneath the table. Her head whipped around and she looked across the table to see Sif. The warrior gestured away from the table with her head then got up. Andromeda bit her lip and patted Thor's hand, getting up from the table and following her friend.

The princess met Sif behind a pillar and prepared to be berated, "Yes?"

"What was that?" Sif questioned, her eyes wide. "I joke about you and Thor but I did not think…"

"Sif it's nothing." Andromeda assured her, flipping her braid over her shoulder, "It is just friendly…"

"The way you stared at him was anything but friendly, Andromeda." Sif whispered fiercely, taking care to keep her voice down.

"I assure you; I do not know what you mean." The princess lied, looking off to the side.

Sif moved to her line of vision and looked her in the eyes, "This is a dangerous game you are playing, Andromeda. You know how Thor feels about you, for you to play with his-!"

"I am not 'playing' with anything, for nothing is going on. Now if you would excuse me." Andromeda moved around her friend.

"If you hurt him..." Sif started quietly, but Andromeda heard her words.

"Please do not make the mistake of threatening a friend, Sif." Andromeda interjected, her ember gaze on the warrior, "Especially for a man who does not love you." With that, she walked away from the brunette.

Reaching the table once more, she bent over slightly and whispered in Thor's ear, "Dance with me." Her breath brushed against his ear and he slightly turned his head to see the bronze woman smiling at him. The prince nodded with a grin and stood, allowing the princess to lead him to the dance floor. Andromeda placed a hand in his and one on his shoulder, while Thor placed a hand on her waist.

"I am sorry for taking you away from your public." Andromeda teased, a light smile on her face.

Thor boomed out a laugh, his shoulders shaking, "I would give up many publics to be in your company."

"That is very kind, Thor." The princess murmured, "Everyone is so happy for you."

"Aye." Thor nodded, "It is endearing to know I have such support among our kingdom."

"Our?" Andromeda questioned, raising a brow.

"My." Thor quickly corrected himself, a glint in his blue eyes, a glint that never meant anything good. "It seems the ale has impaired my tongue."

"Well hopefully that is not true." Andromeda muttered with a wink, only audible to the prince in front of her. The comment seemed to sober the prince and he raised his brows. The princess smiled, "You have a speech to give later, do you not?"

Thor blinked then nodded, a bashful grin spreading across his face, "Oh, yes I do."

Andromeda laughed at his expression and the music seemed to slow. The pair stepped closer to each other and Thor's hands moved to the small of her back, while hers moved to his broad shoulders, "Have you found your victim for the night?"

"My partners are never victims." Thor replied with a smirk, "And I have not."

"I overheard two of your 'partners' speaking in the bathroom," Andromeda muttered, "She said something very interesting."

Thor raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

The princess hummed, expression reading nothing but mischief. "One of them said that you made her climax twice in one setting."

Thor beamed proudly and chuckled, not having the decency to blush. "Aye, that is true." He boasted with a nod, "All of the maidens that have the honor of sharing my bed leave quite satisfied."

"She also said," Andromeda trailed, her fingers twirling around strands of the prince's hair, "that my name was the one on your lips."

Thor looked away and set his jaw, nodding. "Aye." He met her eyes once more and his grip on her seemed to tighten. He leaned down and placed his lips by her ear, "That should not be a surprise to you, princess. Yours is the only face I see when I am buried in another."

Andromeda's lashes fluttered at the feeling of his breath on her skin. He nuzzled his nose against her ear and she lowered her hands to his chest. "What are you playing at, Andromeda?" He questioned lowly, his hands sliding down to her bottom and pushing her into his body.

"I…" Andromeda started weakly before clearing her throat, "People are staring."

"Let them stare." Thor nearly growled, his hands tightening her grip. Andromeda shuddered against him and she felt his warm lips press against her lobe.

It was now or never, either she went through with her plan or she would never do it. The image of Loki between that harlot's milky legs flashed in her mind and her eyes narrowed.

She was not her mother.

Andromeda softened her expression and made her eyes appear to be larger. "Maybe," The princess started, pulling away from the prince and looking in his cerulean eyes, "We should speak in private. Can you spare a moment?"

Thor glanced around the room before giving her a tight-lipped smile, "I doubt anyone would miss me." He muttered to her, offering his arm. Andromeda slipped her arm through his and the both of them walked out the Hall, their every move watched by the partygoers.

Not a word was uttered as the two walked through the empty halls, the noise of the party mutting more and more as they got farther away. Thor glanced over to the bronze woman beside him and saw that she was adamantly chewing on her bottom lip, the act betraying the confidence in her stride, or so he thought. He smirked to himself; she was nervous and it was the first time he had seen the emotion displayed on her face.

The prince opened the door to his chambers for her and she slipped past him, walking back to his bedroom. The princess looked around the room for a moment, the setting looking totally different under the circumstances. She turned to the doorway just as Thor walked into the room, their eyes intense as they stared each other down.

Before she could rethink her decision, Andromeda reached behind her and pulled the ribbon of her gown, the fabric pooling at her feet. Thor's eyes glanced down for a moment before his gaze returned to her eyes and he set his jaw. He then took a step towards her, his hands removing a piece of his own clothing with every step. When he stopped in front of her, the prince was only left in his trousers.

Thor placed both of his hands on Andromeda's cheeks, his fingers brushing against her hair. Bronze hands laid on top of his and the two of them gazed at each other, softly breathing and waiting. A small smile spread over Andromeda's lips and Thor's blue eyes flickered down to the sight. He leaned in and nuzzled his nose against hers, pausing before pressing his lips against hers. The hair of his beard brushed against her soft skin and she crinkled her nose at the feeling, being used to the bare skin of her other lover.

Thor slightly pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers, smiling softly. "Your lips taste just as sweet as I have imagined." He gruffly muttered, his blue eyes mirroring the sky once more.

The woman with the eyes the color of burning embers smiled back at him and said nothing, instead raising herself on her toes and joining their lips once more. She traced the seam of his lips with her tongue and he opened for her eagerly, groaning as she brushed her tongue against his.

Thor's hands fell from her face and ran down her back, cupping her fleshy bottom in his hands. He tilted his head to the left and closed his lips around her tongue, sucking on it. Andromeda's eyes popped open and she moaned, her hands going to his bare chest. Thor's calloused fingers digging into her ass was another new sensation that Andromeda began to enjoy; for Loki's hands were soft and nimble, a large contrast to Thor's meaty, rough palms.

Thor separated their lips and slightly bent down, lifting the woman up and carrying her to the bed. He gently laid her down, pecking her lips once more before hovering over her with a pensive expression, his eyes memorizing every detail of her face.

Andromeda's eyebrows furrowed and she brushed a loosened curl behind her ear, "What?" She muttered self-consciously, sitting up on her elbows.

Thor shook his head and silently leaned forward, pressing his lips against her forehead. He trailed the kiss down to the middle of her brows, pecking away the tension, then he kissed both of her eyelids, then her cheeks. "You are beautiful." He breathed over her, his cheeks pink but his eyes alit with more affection than was called for during a drunken romp.

"Thor…" Andromeda murmured, her face flushing. She shook her head and began to protest but he pressed a finger against her lips, before pressing his lips against hers. He pulled back and pressed a kiss against her chin, then trailed his lips down her neck. The softness of them contrasted with the roughness of his beard and she loved the feeling, whimpering in his ear. Unlike Loki, Thor did not dig his teeth into her skin, instead he lightly scraped them against her. He blew on the trail he left on her neck while his calloused hands began to grope her breasts.

Thor's fingers ran over her nipples softly and his mouth returned to hers. He rolled her pert nubs between his fingers and Andromeda's back arched off the bed, making her body press against his. He slightly tugged and the woman underneath him separated their mouths to moan aloud. Thor in turn pressed his lips against her neck once more before sliding down her body and becoming eye level with her chest.

He pressed her breasts together, they were barely handfuls, and stuck out his tongue, running it from one nipple to the other. His blue eyes were steady as he placed his lips over one nipple and suckled. Andromeda's breath became labored and her teeth dug into her bottom lip to hide her sighs.

Thor switched nipples, a line of saliva following his lips, and trailed a hand down to cup her cunt. The prince let go of her nipple with a pop a grinned up at her, "You are so warm, Andromeda." He muttered, pressing a kiss to the middle of her chest.

"Thor please," Andromeda begged, her thighs clasping around Thor's waist, "This is something akin to torture."

The prince breathlessly laughed against her skin, glancing up at her with a smile, "I have waited for this moment for more than two eternities and I plan to savor it." He pressed his lips against her navel, then to the top of her mound. "Also, who knows when you will let me taste you again."

"Thor," Andromeda breathed, watching the prince lick at the skin of her left thigh. He rounded his lips and began to suck hard on her thigh, the skin reddening angrily.

Thor's blunt nails dug into the outside of her legs as he sprinkled more love bites across her beautiful skin, marking it as his own; even if it was just for one night. He dipped lower and licked his lips, inhaling the scent of her arousal. Her cunt was so pretty and pink; it looked delectable and is mouth was watering just gazing at it. He looked up at the woman above him and brushed a finger up her slit, watching as she shivered. He rubbed the tip of his finger against her clit and smirked when she tried to close her legs.

Thor pressed his large hands against her thighs and forced them open, before dipping his head again and running his tongue up the length of her cunt, stopping just before her clit. He repeated the action a few more times before finally slipping his tongue under her hood and lapping at her clitoris. Andromeda bucked but he held her down, the sensation making her moan.

The prince buried his face in her folds, the scruff of his beard scratching her smooth skin, and nuzzled his nose against her clit before elongating his tongue and sliding it in and out of her repeatedly.

"Thor." Andromeda cried, burying her hands in his hair and forcing his face closer to her. One of Thor's hands left her thigh and took one of the hands on his head, intertwining their fingers. The prince hummed between her thighs and she felt it vibrate through her.

Thor felt Andromeda's heels dig into his back and her hand squeeze the life from his hand. She was shaking under him and he groaned at the taste of her in his mouth. His cock twitched with every little whimper and whine that left her lips, the sounds being as sweet as he imagined.

The prince leaned away from her and wet one of his fingers with her essence before sliding the meaty digit inside her to his knuckle. "Does that feel alright?" He muttered, slightly moving his index finger in and out of her. He did not get a response and he pressed his lips against her thigh, looking up at her through his lashes. "Hm?" He hummed, curling his finger within her.

Andromeda let out a whine and she nodded hastily, looking down to meet his eyes, "Yes, yes that feels f-f-fine." She managed, clenching her teeth together as he added another finger. "Thor please, I can...c-c-cannot."

Thor felt her walls began to tighten around his fingers and he smirked against the skin of her thigh, pressing his lips against it before returning to her cunt. He licked his lips and pressed them against her clit, sucking on the nub as his fingers continued to drill into her. She dripped down his chin and her thighs squeezed his head as she began to cum. Andromeda's back lifted off the bed and she let out a harsh and guttural whine, Thor's name on her lips. Her hands desperately grasped on to her breasts and she felt nothing but the explosion of pleasure between her legs.

When her body was twitching with the aftershocks of her climax, Thor kissed her mound one more time before sitting up. His gaze fell over her and he groaned at the sight; Her hair had unraveled from its braid and was now free and wild; Her skin had a layer of sweat over it, giving her an angelic glow; Her nipples were pink and pert, lifting up and down with every breath she took; Her ember eyes were wide and her lips were swollen and red.

She was breathtaking.

Andromeda looked up at Thor and sat up with him, pressing her lips against his. He wrapped his arms around her and moaned as her tongue licked into his mouth. The princess felt him on her stomach and she trailed a hand down, stroking him through his trousers.

"Take me, Thor." Andromeda muttered, looking up at him through her lashes, "I want it, please."

Thor clenched his jaw and nodded, lightly laying her down once more. He watched her take her bottom lip between her teeth as he tugged off his trousers. Her eyes flickered down to his endowments and he smirked, kneeling before her on the bed. He spread her legs once more and stroked himself, before lining up with her cunt. He coated his head with her wetness and slid it inside her.

Andromeda sharply took in a breath as the prince pushed himself all the way into her. He was big and thick; thicker than she was used to. His penis had a slight curve to it and it filled her up in the best way, though it the pleasure was tinged with pain.

Thor saw the grimace on her face and frowned, leaning over her. "Are you alright?" He asked, his eyes searching hers. He stopped moving when he was buried in her to his hilt.

Andromeda nodded, wrapping her arms around him as much as she could, "You are just… big."

Thor smirked cockily and raised his eyebrow, "You have never had one so large, aye?" She rolled her eyes and he chuckled, pressing his lips against hers. "It was just jest, Andromeda. I will not move until you are comfortable."

"Just…" Andromeda paused, biting her lip, "Go slow, alright?"

Thor nodded and pecked her lips once more before pulling back and watching her face as he slowly pulled himself out of her. She was clenching around him, and though she was not as tight as an untouched woman, he could tell that she was only used to one man.

He pushed in and out of her a few more times before he felt her nails lightly trail down his back. He looked to her for explanation and saw that she was biting her lip. He used his thumb to pull it from between her teeth and took it in his mouth, sucking gently and letting go.

"Go faster, love." Andromeda whispered, barely to be heard. Thor smiled at the term and obeyed, moving his hips at a higher speed. The princess moaned and he kissed her open mouth, licking into it.

Skin slapped against skin as the sex got more passionate and animalistic. Thor's finger was in Andromeda's mouth, one of his fingers was rubbing her clit, her legs were around his waist, her nails were scratching angry lines up and down his back, the headboard was hitting the wall, and both of them were breathless.

Thor groaned into Andromeda's neck as he felt his climax building. He clenched his jaw and tried to hold back, wanting the woman to cum one more time before he did.

"Do not run from me, dove." He grunted as he felt Andromeda's pelvis inching away from his. He sat up and grabbed her hips bruisingly, ramming into her but also being careful not to use his full strength.

Andromeda cried and ran her hands up his chest, biting her lip. She watched his abdomen flex with every thrust and then met his eyes, to see him staring down at her steadily. The prince pressed a finger against her clit and rubbed in time with his thrusts, making her scream.

Thor felt her wrap around him and his nostrils flared as he tried to hold himself off. She felt so good around him; her walls felt like silk, and he was so close. His gaze moved from her face to her breast, though the sight of them bouncing proved to be too erotic for him. He closed his eyes and tried his best, rubbing her clit more hastily.

Andromeda began to twitch and her vision tinged with stars. Her back arched off the bed for the second time and she called out to her lover, "Thor," She moaned, breathlessly, "Kiss me."

Never one to disobey the princess, the prince of Asgard bent over, his eyes still clenched closed and pressed his lips against hers. With that final show of affection, Andromeda began to cum again.

With the feeling of her soft body spasming under his and her cunt holding on to him tightly, Thor came with a guttural yell, the sound echoing off the walls of the bedroom. Andromeda's nails dug into his back while the pads of his fingers dug into her hips as he thrusted into her a few more times.

The prince came to a stop and just breathed, glancing down at the woman under him. He nuzzled his nose against hers and kissed her sweetly, before pressing his forehead to hers.

"Was it as good as you have dreamed?" Andromeda questioned, a cheeky smirk on her sweaty face.

Thor chuckled breathlessly, the sound rumbling in his belly. "Better, possibly the best I have ever experienced." He marveled at her beautiful grin and removed himself from her, laying next to her and pulling her to his chest. He pressed a hand to her back and ran his fingers up and down her spine softly while she listened to his heart beat.

"Your public is probably waiting for its King." Andromeda muttered, drawing nonsensical pictures on his abdomen. "You can rejoin them if you would like."

"These festivities will last for a week," Thor informed her, his chest rumbling under her cheek, "I will join them soon enough." The prince paused before venturing into uncharted territory and taking a chance, "Andromeda, I-!" The King-to-be was interrupted by Andromeda cuddling into his chest and a loud snore; for the sex and the ale had worn the mortal-born out.

The heir to the throne supposes that he can tell the crowned princess of Aethiopia tomorrow.


	27. The Morning After

The bright light of a new day shined through the windows of the palace. The sun had just barely risen over the horizon and the kingdom was still asleep, except for the few souls that worked in the palace.

The merriment that took place the night before had taken its toll and everyone who attended the royal ceremony was still incapacitated from the amount of ale that was consumed. Bodies were strewn everywhere in the palace; the hallway, the Grand Hall, the courtyard, it looked as if a massacre had occurred. Mistakes had been made, fornication had occurred and all of it would be repeated for the next six nights.

A royal from a kingdom long forgotten squinted at the bright light of the sun. Her mouth was dry and her head was pounding; she never could take her liquor. A warm arm was over her bare stomach and she sighed lowly, closing her eyes and rolling over on her other side and cuddling against the warm body next to her.

As she tried to get comfortable, her eyes fluttered open more. She looked down at the chest she was laying on and a scream bubbled up in her throat but she choked it down. Slowly and quietly, she lifted her head and looked up at the face of her bed partner.

The princess slapped a hand over her mouth and stood from the bed, every fiber of her startled. She looked around the room for her dress from last night and found it on the floor. She yanked it on and tied it the best she could, before slipping out of the room and out of the chambers.

As she stepped over people in the hallway, her mind was racing. Piece by piece, memories came flooding in from last night. Andromeda chewed on her lip at the erotic sights flashing through her mind.

She reached her old chambers and slipping inside, locking the door behind her. Taking a quick survey of the room, she was relieved to find it was empty. She padded to the bathroom of her suite and closed the door.

Andromeda stood in front of her bathroom mirror and dropped her dress, before inspecting her body. Her eyes were slightly red, as was her cheeks and lips. Her lips looked downright swollen and pinker than usual. Her bronze neck was tinted red, and a line of bruises traced across her collarbone. Her nipples were still erect and her waist and hips had large, dark bruises in the shape of fingertips. The bruises continued down to her thighs and when she spread her legs, they lined the inside as well.

She looked like she had been thoroughly made love to, and it would not be a problem if she had chosen the right prince.

Andromeda lowered a hand over her cunt, pressing her fingers down. As she suspected, she was still slick with the aftermath of sex. She sighed and grabbed a towel from her rack, wiping herself. Thinking quickly, she walked out of the bathroom and dressed herself in the dress from last night and a cloak, trying to cover her bruises. She covered her head with the hood and walked out of her room, knowing what she had to do.

The princess made her way to the kitchen of the palace, hurrying past the cooks making breakfast for the royal court. When she spotted her golden-haired pseudo-mother she ran to her.

Ragna jumped when she saw the princess, raising a brow, "You look like a ghost, child. Why must you wear a cloak?"

Andromeda said nothing as she pulled the servant outside of the kitchen, keeping her head lowered. She took off her hood and Ragna smirked at the sight. The princess rolled her eyes, "I need you to retrieve something for me."

"Oh?" Ragna questioned, her eyes still on the young woman's neck.

"That potion…" Andromeda hinted slowly, widening her eyes.

"I understand, I will attain it."

The princess breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, I also require a bath in my room. Not Loki's, this is especially important."

Ragna's eyes searched her bronze face and she furrowed her brows, catching on quickly. "What happened?"

"I…" Andromeda trailed, swallowing, "I cannot say here, but when you bring my potion I will tell you. Just… please."

"Of course." Ragna nodded, "Right away, you do not have to worry."

Andromeda covered her head once more and walked back to her room, not making contact with anyone. Most of the kingdom was still asleep, which was in her favor. She reached her room without incident and sat on her bed, waiting for her bath water.

The princess' emotions were mixed as she stared at the painted Asgardian sky on her ceiling.

She had done it. She had really stooped to Loki's level, except even lower so because it was with his brother. His brother who he was deathly envious of. He could never find out. Gods, her mother would be so disappointed, or proud depending on the day.

The biggest problem she had with what she did was that she enjoyed it, immensely enjoyed it, more than she thought she would. The way he looked at her, his hands on her body, his mouth; she was reeling at the memory of it. He was so… tender towards her. It felt odd yet pleasant, like it had been done before. It awakened something in her.

Did she have feelings for Thor?

A knock at her door startled her out of her thoughts. She hurried to answer it and peeked out from the crack, relieved when she saw maternal blue eyes. She opened the door wider and servants came in after Ragna and Sylvi, filling the tub for her. When the others left, Ragna pulled a potion from her satchel.

"Thank you!" Andromeda nodded, snatching up the vial and gulping it down.

"You are welcome." Ragna nodded, helping the princess undress. She slipped the cloak off the woman's shoulders and untied the crude bow at the back of her dress.

"Oh my!" Sylvi exclaimed, her eyes tracing the royal's body. "You look like you went into battle last night!"

Andromeda's face flushed and she hurried into the bathroom. She lifted her curls above her head and lowered herself in the tub, dropping her hair over the side. The two women walked in after her and she hummed. "I need to cut my hair."

"You need to tell us what happened." Ragna uttered, taking a limb and scrubbing, "Besides, your hair is beautiful."

"My hair is long and tedious." Andromeda disagreed, "It's to my buttocks!"

"Men like long hair, that is why you seem to be having such a time." Sylvi added with a laugh.

The princess groaned, "Do not say that, now I want to cut it all off."

"What happened?" Ragna repeated herself from earlier, her steel eyes on the young woman.

Andromeda groaned as her skin was cleansed by the two. "You must promise never to repeat what I am about to say." She looked from one woman then the other for confirmation before continuing. "Last night, I saw Loki with another wench." She cleared her throat, "I mean woman. Agitated and saddened, I drank. A little more than I should have, I admit, but I was distraught. Somehow, someway I ended up sleeping with…" She paused, closing her eyes as she confessed her sin, "Thor."

The princess waited for a response but was met with silence. She opened her eyes and looked at the women. "What?" She questioned, looking for a reaction.

"With all due respect, your highness," Sylvi started, running soap through the girl's hair, "It is not very surprising. It was bound to happen sometime."

"I am trying very hard not to be offended." Andromeda set her jaw and pursed her lips, "Was it really not surprising?"

"If you would like, we could act surprised." Sylvi offered and Andromeda snorted.

"No that will not be necessary. My thoughts are now on how to keep Loki from finding out about my relations with his brother."

"Well you have our word we will not ever speak of it." Ragna assured her, rinsing the suds from her curls.

"And I do trust the two of you." Andromeda nodded, closing her eyes, "It is the eldest Odinson that I do not trust." She stood up in the tub and Ragna wrapped a towel around her, helping her step out of the tub.

"You believe he would tell his brother what transpired?" Sylvi asked and the princess nodded.

"To win my heart, yes." She answered as her body was dried, "Admittedly, this was not my best decision."

"What are you going to do?" Ragna questioned, wrapping a robe around her and sitting her down in front of the vanity.

Andromeda stayed silent as the two prepared her for the day. Her face was left bare as always, with just a hint of pink on her lips. Ragna and Sylvi mixed a concoction of powders to match her dark skin and covered the results of last night. Her hair was left down to provide further coverage and her signature crowns were placed on her head. She rose from the vanity and was dressed in a white gown, the color feeling oddly inappropriate. The dress fell off her shoulders, though the sleeves were long and flowy. It cinched at her waist and the fabric fell on to her body like liquid.

The princess stood in front of the mirror and played with her sleeve, letting out a quiet sigh. "I do not know what to do… Should I show my hand completely and tell Loki or should I hide it? Mother always said even the darkest valleys are lightened by the sun eventually." She chewed on her bottom lip and sighed once more, before shaking her head and leaving the room.

She padded down the hallway slowly, noting in her head that the stragglers from last night had woken up and left, leaving the halls bare. Her mind was clouded with thoughts, her brown eyes stormy. Andromeda played with her fingers absentmindedly; even in her worry, she was the epitome of beauty.

"Princess Andromeda!" A guard called to her and she turned around. He handed her a folded up script and bowed deeply, his fist over his chest, before leaving her.

Andromeda looked down at paper in her hands and chewed on her lip before unfolding it. It was written in basic norse. She swallowed thickly and balled up the note; she would have eaten it if she could.

Loki wanted to have lunch with her.

One glaring thought popped into her head; he knows. There was no other explanation. He had to know. But did he know that she knew?

Andromeda rubbed her temples and huffed, closing her eyes. She opened her eyes and continued walking, a sour look on her face. She passed a pillar and an arm shot out, wrapping itself around her waist and pulling her in.

"Thor." Andromeda breathed in relief.

The golden prince grinned down at her and brushed his lips against her cheek. "How do you fare on this beautiful morning, Andromeda?"

"Wonderful," Andromeda breathed, taking a step away from the prince, "And you?"

Thor smiled, "Excellent." He reached out to her once more and pushed her hair over her shoulder with a single finger, leaving her neck exposed. "You look radiant." He muttered, as he traced over the faint bruises.

Andromeda sighed lightly and closed her eyes before shaking her head, "Wait, Thor… I-!"

"I know." The prince interrupted, still smiling. "But I will change your mind, princess." He finished with a wink. He leaned away from her and put a fist over his chest, "I will not touch you again; unless you ask me to."

The princess smiled and nodded, standing on the tips of her toes and kissing him on the cheek, before twirling away. Andromeda covered her neck once more and chewed on her lip, trying not to think about the feeling of Thor's finger on her neck.

"Calm down." She snapped to herself lowly, "You are not a cat in heat!"

"Though you behave like one." A feminine voice rang in front of her.

Andromeda looked up and met the eyes of Sif. She rolled her own, "My friend are you still angry with me? Did you spend your night alone?"

"As a matter of fact I did." Sif answered, walking with the royal, "And I am! Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"Sif you are overreacting." Andromeda waved her statement off, before fibbing, "Nothing transpired between Thor and I; I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the bed."

Sif narrowed her eyes and stopped the bronze woman, looking into her ember eyes for any signs of lies. "You did not?" She questioned once more.

"No. I promise you." Andromeda replied evenly. Sif looked over her face once more before she caught sight of her neck. She moved her curls to the side and scoffed.

"Even with skin as sunkissed as yours I can see the bruises of a romp." Sif smiled bitterly and let her go. "You lie as smoothly as your lover. You belong together." She spat and marched away from the princess.

"Sif!" Andromeda called out to her, frowning deeply, "I did not mean to-!" Her words were too late, as the warrior had rounded the corner. The princess shook her head and turned around, making her way to her lunch date.

The young woman fiddled with the fabric of her dress as she floated to the room, her mind burdened with terrible thoughts. She had just lost a friend over a petty action.

Sif's relationship with Thor was odd, and anyone with eyes could see that the warrior was attracted to the crowned prince. Everyone except Thor it seemed, for his blue eyes were too busy watching Andromeda. It was like a fairytale gone wrong, and as always the story was in favor of the princess and not, for lack of better phrasing, the pauper.

Andromeda opened the heavy door to the chambers and glanced inside, before walking in completely. She adjusted her hair to cover her neck once again and smoothed out her dress. She took a deep breath and walked out to the balcony of the suite, where her dark prince was sitting at a table.

The scene was eerily familiar to her when she bent down and ghosted her lips over his temple before sitting across from him. "Good morning." She greeted, her smile more out of necessity than niceness.

"Good morning, my love." Loki relayed the greeting, the usual sly grin on his pale face. "Sleep well?" He questioned innocently enough, taking a sip of his drink.

"I always do." Andromeda answered without missing a beat. She reached for a pastry and took a small bite, swallowing before speaking. "How was your night?"

"Lonely without you by my side, Andromeda." Loki replied, before sighing, "I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I was very cold to you and you are the last person I would want to isolate."

His words were sincere, as were his eyes when Andromeda looked into them. She smiled sweetly and reached over the table, taking his hand in hers. She leaned forward, as did he, and her breath played on his lips. She searched his eyes and just as she was about to kiss him she whispered, "I saw you."

The prince's face didn't change, though his eyes went from her lips to the fiery embers burning in a glare. "I do not know what you mean." He replied smoothly, the two of them still a hair away from each other.

Andromeda grinned spitefully, her grip tightening around Loki's hand. "Oh come now, God of Mischief," Her tone was dipped in sugar but her words were as bitter as a lemon, "You should know that you cannot lie to me."

Loki did not budge, "I am not-!"

"Do not lie! To! Me!" Andromeda's voice rose, as her fist hit the table. She let go of his hand and leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed, "Who is she? Some pale young maiden that idolizes you in a way that I cannot? What about her made you want to hurt me?"

"Andromeda, calm down." Loki waved off her anger, his tone nonchalant. "She was just some peasant."

Andromeda set her jaw and stood from the table, shaking her head incredulously. She marched away from the balcony; if she did not remove herself she would throw him off. Loki quickly rose from the table and followed her, grabbing her arm to keep her from leaving.

"Get off me!" The princess snatched her arm from him, quickly landing a slap on his cheek. "I hate you!"

Loki turned his head toward her and rolled his eyes, "You do not."

"I do!" Andromeda insisted, her hands balling into fists. "You promised! You told me you would not stray ever again! Yet I catch you in the garden with some lily white peasant! Is that what you want? Is my skin too dark for a crown prince of Asgard?"

"Andromeda you are beautiful." The prince assured her, his hands in her arms. "Your skin is beautiful, she had nothing on your beauty."

Andromeda pushed him away again, "Do not patronize me, Loki! If it was not her appearance than was it her charm? Her wit? Does she challenge you as I? Would you marry her?"

"I-!"

"No!" Andromeda interjected, "You would not. I am sick of feeling this way. I am sick of being sad. I am sick of you. Do you know how many men would love to be in my company?"

"Andromeda do not speak of such things." Loki snapped and she let out a dark chuckle.

"Why not? If you can share your seed with the pits of Asgard, why can't I share my flower?" Andromeda questioned, nose to nose with him.

"Because you belong to me." The prince nearly growled, his green eyes glaring at her.

"I am not an object to be owned," Andromeda yelled, exasperated. Tears began to line her eyes but she pushed through them to get her point across, "I am not even your wife."

"You act like this and you wonder why."

The words made Andromeda freeze and her mouth gaped. She swallowed the sob in her throat and pursed her lips, a tear betraying her stoic expression. She stood there for a moment and waited for him to take it back, to apologize, to say something but he didn't. He just stared at her with eyes so empty they scared her.

"Well." She breathed, smoothing out her dress, "Thank you for finally allowing me to see how you really feel about me." She spared him one last look and picked up her dress in her hands, running out of the room.

Once she was out in the hallway, she began to walk. She had no destination in mind; she did not even want to go to her garden. So she just walked, her face akin to a ghost and her eyes glazed over.

"Andromeda!" A booming voice called out to her belonging to her only friend. She stopped walking but did not turn around.

"Thor…" She whispered, her eyes searching his face once he was in front of her.

The golden prince looked down at the bronzed woman with shining eyes, before he read her expression. "Oh Andromeda…" He muttered, his hand caressing her cheek. "What has he-!"

"I want to drink." The broken woman rasped, before he could finish, "Can we drink?"

The prince nodded in understanding and led her to his chambers. He sat her down in the common area and fixed her a drink from his cabinet, before deciding to bring the whole bottle to her. Within an hour, the room was still silent, but the mood was a little lighter.

Andromeda leaned into the cushions of the sofa, the liquor warming her body. Her mind was off of Loki and she was in a rare place she got into when she was distressed. The only thing she was thinking about now was how in the world Thor lifted up at hammer.

"Is it heavy?" She questioned, her head tilted in wonder.

Thor took a sip of his drink and shook his head, grinning slyly, "Only I can posses it."

"Really?" Andromeda asked, getting up from the couch. She wrapped her dainty hands around the handle and pulled with all her might, letting out a puff a breath. When she wasn't successful she turned to Thor with a playful pout. "I guess I am not worthy."

The prince chuckled and stood up from his seat, "Place your hands on Mjolnir again, Andromeda." The princess did what she was told and Thor put his large hands over hers. "Try again." He muttered and with his help, she lifted the hammer.

"Together," His warm breath caressed her ear like a kiss, "We are worthy."

Andromeda's eyes fluttered and her stomach felt warm, but it was a different warmth from an ale-induced glow. She furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at Thor to the side of her before he helped her lower the hammer. She stepped away from him and looked up at the prince with squinted eyes, a light seeming to shine around him.

"Andromeda?" Thor muttered, with furrowed brows, "Are you alright?"

Andromeda just padded up to him and wrapped her arms around his body, pressing her cheek against his chest. "Thank you."

Thor returned the embrace immediately, placing his chin on the top of her head. "Anything for you, princess." He sighed into her hair. He leaned away from her and brushed his lips against her forehead. The woman leaned into the kiss as his lips lingered on her skin.

"You always know how to make me feel better." Andromeda murmured, her eyes closed.

Thor clenched his jaw and his arms grew tighter around her, "I could make you so happy, Andromeda." He uttered, his words barely audible.

"You already are." She whispered, and she felt him lowly chuckle.

"You know what I mean." He separated from her, though his arms were still on her waist. His blue eyes mirrored the sky with such an intensity that Andromeda had to look away. He took a step away from her and sat down, "Though I respect your wishes." He said, taking a sip of his forgotten drink.

Andromeda bit her lip and watched the eldest prince smirk at her from behind his glass. "Gods help me…" She uttered, sitting down next to him and throwing her drink back.


	28. Coronation

(A/N: So much happens at the start of Thor, Jesus.)

Pale hands moved along the surface of dark skin quickly, while two others braided intricate little designs into curly, brunette hair. Sparkling amber eyes were staring into their own reflection, already bored of what was to come. Her gown was already on her, and it looked beautiful. It was her signature color of white, while a golden belt wrapped around her waist. One of her shoulders was bare while the dress hung over the other in a cape. Her neck was adorned with a golden choker that looked like woven vines, and her bare arm had a golden band wrapped around it. Her collarbone was lined with golden powder, as were her cheekbones, her nose, her chin, her forehead and the dip of her upper lip. She was glowing. Her hair was braided at her scalp and tied on top of her head in a large bun with some of her curls left out in front of her face. She bowed her head and a golden crown of vines was placed in her hair.

"What is this?" The princess questioned, her eyes narrowed. "Where is my mother's crown?"

"Prince Thor requested that you wear the one he had made for you instead." Ragna explained, putting the final touches on her hair.

Andromeda sighed, putting her head in her hand. Thor had really taken this 'King and Queen' thing to heart.

The week of before the prince's coronation was spent celebrating every night and into the early morning. During that week, Andromeda and the crowned Prince had been nearly inseparable, though they had not sleep together since the first night. Thor was not his usual self toward her, in fact, he was very respectful and did not so much as look at another woman when he was with her, despite it being his celebration. He did not bed any other maidens either, not since the first day.

That whole week Andromeda had a very tough question to answer; How did she feel about Thor? She did not know really, it seemed as if a switch was turned over night and she felt butterflies when he looked at her. But yet, her mind was still on Loki.

Speaking of the younger Prince, she had not seen much of him lately, but that might of had something to do with the fact that she was adamantly avoiding him. He had sent her flowers everyday since their argument, but not just any flowers; they were gardenias from Midgard, meaning that he actually put in the effort to travel to her home realm and retrieve them for her. A month ago she would have swooned but now? She was sick of his lies, sick of his whores and most of all she was sick of him.

"The crown is beautiful..." Andromeda commented, looking at herself in the mirror. "And it is his day…"

"And he will be king!" Sylvi added playfully, laughing when the princess swiped at her.

Andromeda stood from the vanity and examined her full look. Unfortunately, she had to wear shoes to such an important event, despite her loathing of the footwear. She could not wear her flowers either, for they were much too casual.

A knock sounded at the door and Sylvi answered it. A servant walked into the room carrying a pillow with a note and a single gardenia placed upon it. He bowed and presented the pillow to the princess, who in turn scoffed. Sylvi took the gifts from the pillow and thanked the servant, waiting for him to leave before opening the note.

"Well?" Andromeda questioned impatiently, "What does he want now?"

"I cannot read this note," Sylvi muttered, "It is not in norse."

Andromeda took the note from her and stood up, her dress flowing behind her as she paced. The script of the note was beautiful, of course, even in her anger she could admit that Loki's handwriting was superb, and it was written in her native tongue. "How did…" She muttered to herself, her eyebrows furrowing.

'Andromeda,

Please accept my apology. You mean more to me than the stars in the sky, than the Earth and our moons. Please return to me, for I cannot live without you, nor would I want to.

~L.O.'

Andromeda rolled her eyes and ripped up the note. "More of the same garble only in a different language." She scoffed, spinning around. "When will my escort be-!" Another knock at the door interrupted her. She rushed to open the door and to her surprise, Queen Frigga was standing with two guards.

"Queen Frigga." Andromeda sputtered, before curtseying.

"Oh," The Allmother waved her hand at the formalities, "Rise my dear." The princess did as she was told and the queen smiled at her, "You look like a vision. Are you ready to go? You will be walking in with me, love."

Andromeda nodded, "Yes I am." She turned to Ragna and Sylvi, "Thank you both, as always." They smiled at her and she walked out of the room, the queen intertwining their arms.

"Which one of my sons bought you that crown?" Queen Frigga questioned, though her tone was light and a smirk spread across her face.

"The eldest." Andromeda replied, walking in step with the older royal.

"It's pretty." Frigga chimed, "Just like its wearer."

Andromeda smiled to herself but said nothing. They arrived at the Grand Hall and the roar of the crowd was so loud it penetrated the golden doors. She took a deep breath and the queen patted the princess' hand. "You will do fine, you always do." The older woman assured her with a beautiful smile. "One day this might be your ceremony." She muttered, making Andromeda's eyes widen as the doors opened.

The bronze woman quickly fixed her face, a charming smile spreading across her lips as she and Frigga walked down the long, golden aisle to the throne. Her wave was light and airy, just as her mother had taught her ions ago, and her grin was genuine. Everyone could see that Princess Andromeda had such beauty that she glowed, even the Asgardians who disliked her.

The pair made it to the steps, bowing to Odin before taking their places; Frigga on the top step and Andromeda on the bottom. The youngest Prince was standing in between the two, his eyes steadily on the princess. She pretended she did not notice, though, as the doors opened again, she did not have to pretend.

Standing tall, with Mjolnir raised in the was the eldest Prince. Her smile drop and she just stared, watching as Thor commanded the crowd. His grin was large as it always was, as he flipped his hammer in the air, no doubt showing off. Andromeda fought the urge to roll her eyes, instead snickering under her breath.

Thor trotted up to the stairs in front of his father before taking a knee and removing his helm. He looked over to the side and caught Andromeda's eyes on him. He smirked as his eyes traveled to her crown and he winked at her. As annoyed as the princess wanted to look, she couldn't help how her face flushed at the gesture.

Odin rose from his throne, striking his scepter against the ground once, silencing the Hall. "Thor Odinson, my heir." The king started, his words wavering, "My first born. So long entrusted with the mighty hammer Mjolnir, whose strength was forged in the heart of a dying star. It is a weapon to destroy or a tool to build. It is a fit companion for a king…"

As the Allfather continued to speak, Andromeda's eyes could not help but fall on Loki. His jawbone was protruding and his face was tight, and she knew that look all too well. As his father spoke on and on about Thor, his youngest son could not help but feel envious and it seemed as if only Andromeda could see that.

A loud, boom of a salute brought her out of her thoughts. "I swear!" Thor exclaimed from below her.

"Then on this day, Odin Allfather proclaim you…" Odin froze in the middle of his sentence, his eye looking beyond the crowd. "Frost giants." The king whispered and chatter began around the room. Odin stomped down the stairs of the throne, Thor and Loki hastily following after him. The room was in a panic, but a hand grabbed Andromeda's.

"Come on." Queen Frigga muttered to her, leading her behind a curtain.

"What is happening?" Andromeda questioned, her brows furrowed, "Are we in danger?"

The queen shook her head, "The Allfather will handle it, do not worry." The two walked to the royal chambers and sat in the foyer, three guards surrounding them.

For the rest of the day, the two women enjoyed tea and spoke of nothing, just enjoying the company of each other. The sun was in the middle of the sky when a guard came and spoke into the Queen's ear, making her pleasant smile drop.

Frigga dismissed the guard and cleared her throat, a smile spreading across her face once more. "I must go, dear." She breathed, standing. Andromeda followed her action and the queen pressed a kiss to each of her cheeks, "You may return to your room if you like." She suggested, though it sounded more like an order.

Andromeda nodded and exited the chambers with Frigga, the two women going down different hallways. Instead of doing as she was told, the princess walked toward the Grand Hall once more. The halls were void of people but guards still trotted through the corridor.

The princess paused at the Leisure Hall, hearing voices. She leaned against the wall and stayed silent, hoping to overhear something useful.

"And if I do then what?" Loki's voice was low and hushed, "I love Thor more dearly than any of you but you know what he is. He's arrogant, he's reckless, he's dangerous! You saw how he was today! Is that what Asgard needs for its king?"

Andromeda put a hand over her mouth to quiet her gasp, stepping further into the wall when Loki stormed out of the room. The prince stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of her, before he looked down and continued on his way.

Andromeda bit her lip and quietly padded into the room, catching the tail end of Sif's statement, "He may speak of the good of Asgard but he has always been jealous of Thor." The brunette warrior paused in her diatribe as she turned to the princess. "Obviously." She muttered, motioning to Andromeda.

"Sif," The bronze woman breathed, "Please." She turned to the Warrior's three with questioning eyes, "What happened? Where is Thor?"

"You should ask your lover." Sif snapped and Volstagg held a hand up.

"Sif…" The ginger man warned before getting up from his seat and walking over to the princess. "Andromeda," He started, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Thor was banished."

"What?" Andromeda muttered, her breath being taken from her.

"We went on an excursion to the Jotunheim to get revenge on the frost giants and Loki alerted Odin." Volstagg explained, watching as tears began to trail down Andromeda's face, "He was banished to Midgard."

Andromeda raised her head in alarm, her eyebrows furrowing, "Earth?" She questioned, though she was speaking to no one in particular. "I must… I have to go." She muttered, rushing out of the room.

Her thoughts were plaguing her as her walk through the halls turned into a run. She fisted her long dress in her hands and ran as fast as she could to the stables. She trotted up to Sleipnir's stable and dropped her long skirt, petting her baby on his head.

"I need your help, beautiful." Andromeda muttered before reaching into the satchel left by the stable hands and grabbing a dagger. She cut the skirt of her dress to her knees then let Sleipnir out, climbing onto his back.

"Take me to Heimdall." The princess ordered, hanging on tight as the steed began to gallop as fast as he could for his mother.

By the time the two had arrived at the golden observatory, Andromeda's bun had fallen and her face glowed with a sheen of sweat. Sleipnir lowered himself, allowing her to get off and nuzzled his head against hers with worried eyes. Andromeda patted her child and reassured him with a quiet word of thanks before walking into the observatory.

"If you have come to accuse me," Heimdall started, not turning toward her, "I did nothing to betray Thor."

"I know." Andromeda breathed, going up the stairs to stand next to the guardian. "I have only come for answers."

"I see and hear everything from the nine realms, I know much and I have seen much." The beautiful guardian spoke, his voice filling the observatory. "Any question you ask I will be happy to answer, little princess."

"Is Thor alright?" Andromeda started her questioning, looking out into the galaxy, "On Earth?"

Heimdall nodded once, his golden eyes a reflection of what he sees, "Aye. Midgard has changed alot since you have called it home. The mortal's technology has evolved and they live longer than they did in your time. Thor is currently in the care of a woman named Jane."

Andromeda nose scrunched up involuntarily, "Jane?" She muttered, "What an odd name. Can you please explain to me what really happened?"Heimdall went into detail about the events of the day, unbiased in all his views.

Andromeda ran a hand through her hair, only for it to get snagged in a knot. She picked the curls apart with her fingers, before continuing, "Did Loki do this with a malicious intent?"

Heimdall paused, glancing at her for the first time since she arrived. His gaze was intense but his eyes were so beautiful that Andromeda could not look away when her amber eyes met them. "There are some questions that I do not know the answers to. I do not deal with emotions, only actions. But…" He paused and Andromeda urged him to continue, "I have seen his actions, both toward you and Thor. From what I have seen of the realms, I do not put actions past anyone." He finished, before furrowing his brows and turning back towards the galaxy. "You must go now." He told her, "If you are in need of answers again feel free to return. I could use the company."

Andromeda smiled softly, "Thank you, Heimdall." Her voice chimed, bouncing off the walls. She bowed before walking out of the observatory. The princess mounted Sleipnir and the steed carried her all the way home.

Andromeda walked the halls of the palace with Heimdall's words replaying in her mind. She was not sure if she believed Loki did this to get rid of Thor. In her heart she believed that he was only trying to help. They could have died if Odin had not been informed and Thor was being pretty brazen by ignoring his father's order and going to the Jotunheim anyway. He could be so stubborn sometimes.

She reached her room and locked the door behind her, stripping herself of her ruined dress. She sat at her vanity and took off her woven crown, looking down at the golden band with a frown. She was worried about him.

It was probably just a lesson Odin wanted Thor to learn before he would become king but he still was powerless and on Earth, away from his family and friends. She could only imagine how Frigga was feeling.

Her bronze fingers worked through her hair to undo the plaits on her scalp, needing for all of it to be free before she could brush it. She finished and grabbed a brush from the counter, starting at her ends and detangling all of her long hair.

As she was threatening to cut her hair for the hundredth time, a knock sounded at her door. She blinked and hastily wrapped a robe around herself, the floral, flowy material soft against her skin. The sun had long set and it was the early night so she couldn't have had any company. She hurried to the door and opened it, her polite expression falling.

"No." She breathed just as he begged in a strained voice, "Please."

Andromeda paused at his tone, looking up and seeing tears in his eyes. She looked him over; his face was deathly pale and his eyes were sad. His hands balled into fists and trembling. He looked utterly broken.

Without a word, she opened her door further and stepped aside, allowing him in. She closed the door with a sigh and turned around, her eyes widening when Loki dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her, his head on her abdomen. He was sobbing by this time and she hesitantly placed her hands on his head.

"What in the world…?" Andromeda trailed with furrowed brows, feeling his sobs racking through her body.

"I'm a monster!" Loki exclaimed, clutching the dark woman like she was going to float away. "I'm a monster."

Andromeda frowned and her arms went slack, pulling away from the prince and making him look up at her. "What did you do?" She whispered, watching him shake his head.

"It's not what I did." He choked out, clenching his jaw, "It's who I am." He muttered, looking away from her.

"I do not…" The princess started, licking her lip. She stepped closer to him again and placed a hand on his cheek, softly turning his face towards hers. "I have been upset with you but if something is wrong I need to know."

Andromeda's voice was soft and calming to the prince. He looked into her worried eyes and swallowed thickly coming to a realization that almost made him feel better; she still loved him.

Andromeda mistook his silence for insecurity and stepped away from him, tugging him up from his place on the ground. "Come on, sit on my bed and I will go to the kitchens to get us some tea-!" He grabbed her hand and made her stand in front of him as he sat down.

"Andromeda." He started, his voice hushed. He ran his hands up her arms and swallowed before repeating, "I'm a monster."

The princess shook her head, feeling his arms slither around her waist. "You have to tell me how, Loki."

The prince's nostrils flared and his eyes welled up with tears once more, his pale skin tinting pink. "Odin is not my father." He watched her eyes widen and he looked down at his lap, "Frigga is not my mother. I am not a son of Asgard, but of the Jotunheim." He took an arm from her waist and held it up, the limb turning blue. He spared a glance to see her reaction and to his surprise it was one of marvel and not disgust. She raised a finger to touch him and he jerked back, completely removing himself from her, terrified.

"Loki…" She sighed out softly, sitting on the bed beside him. "Tell me how." She muttered, placing a hand on his knee.

The prince breath heavily and stared down at his hands, his bottom lip quivering. "I do not know." He sniffed, "During the battle one of them touched me, it was supposed to burn but all it did was turn my skin blue."

"Then how do you know that the King and Queen aren't your-!"

"It would make sense." Loki interjected, turning to look at her, "They always favored Thor because I was not supposed to be here."

"Loki do not say that." Andromeda chided lightly, "Everything happens for a reason, if they are not your parents they raised you as their own all the same."

Loki chuckled humorlessly, a taunting smirk on his lips, "How could anyone possibly love someone like this?" He questioned, before his skin started to change color. He closed his eyes and markings appeared on his head. He opened them and his eyes were now colored red. "I am a hideous, disfigured monster." He sneered at her.

"You are not!" She protested with soft eyes, "You are the same. Your skin might be different but you are still the same man that I love. My skin is different from all of you; am I ugly?"

Loki's skin started to pale once more and he shook his head hastily, "Of course not, you are one the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"Your skin is blue, it mirrors the sky. Just as my skin is black, it mirrors the night." Andromeda spoke wisely, placing a hand on his cheek, "You are still a son of Asgard, no matter what you look like. You are who you are, and nothing can change that."

Loki searched her eyes, tears welling up in his own again. He did not dare turn away, only nuzzled his nose against her hand, "I love you." He muttered and he meant it with all of him.

Andromeda smiled softly, despite her prior feelings, and leaned forward, ghosting her lips against his cheek bone. "I love you, too." She replied against his skin, making him shiver. She pulled back and Loki stared at her full lips before looking back to her eyes.

The prince leaned into her and swiped his thumb against her cheek, "I will make you a Queen, Andromeda. You have my word." He went to connect their lips and she pulled away, shaking her head.

"Loki," She breathed, frowning, "Though I will be your comfort, I am still upset with you. I love you more than all of the stars in the sky but I cannot ignore what you did and continue to do."

Loki got off the bed and onto his knees, taking Andromeda's hands in his. "Never again." He pledged, staring deeply into her eyes. "You have to believe me, I have changed I will never be unfaithful again. I have not even looked at a woman since you have left me."

Andromeda raised a brow, "It has only been a week."

Loki did not falter in his graveling, "I love you so much, I can give you so much. I would die for you, kill for you. I…" He trailed before cupping her hands. A green light shined through her fingers and he uncovered her hands to reveal a ring. "Andromeda," He started lowly, "Will you marry me?"

Andromeda took the ring in one of her hands and examined it, her eyes watering. It was band was silver and it looked like a woven vine while the diamond was in the shape of a rose. It reminded her of the ring Perseus had given her, the ring that sat in a glass case on her vanity.

"Loki…" She breathed, staring at the ring. He smiled at her as she looked back at him. He urged her to continue and her lip began to quiver, "No."

His smiled dropped, "No?" He repeated in disbelief.

"No." Andromeda repeated, standing from the bed, "No. No! NO!" She yelled, before calming herself down, "You treat me like absolute shit and then give me a ring like I will just forget what you did?"

"Andromeda I…"

"No." She repeated, though this time it was softer. She grabbed his hand and put the ring in it, closing his fingers around it with her hand. The princess looked down at the solemn prince, "You can stay here for the night because I know how hurt you are, but I cannot marry you. Not now."

Loki swallowed the lump in his throat and waved his fingers, the ring disappearing. He held in his tears and exhaled shakily, looking up at Andromeda after a moment. "Will you hold me?" He asked, his voice small and breaking off at the end.

Andromeda, without hesitation, wrapped her arms around him and placed her chin on his head. "I've got you." She whispered, slightly swaying. He eagerly wrapped his arms around her like a child, finally letting his tears escape once she could not see his face.


	29. A King Who Knew

Andromeda let out a long sigh as she woke up from her light slumber. She grimaced as she turned her head, feeling a pain in her neck. It had probably come from how she slept; her back was resting against the headboard and Loki's head was in her lap.

She looked down at the prince and sighed, shaking her head. Her beautiful gown that was already ripped at the seams was also now wet with tears. She was exhausted, both emotionally and physically, and she wanted nothing more than to be alone.

Quietly and as carefully as she could, she slipped away from the hold of the dark prince. She padded into her bathroom and took off her gown, dipping a finger into the water that was already in her tub. It was room temperature, probably having been brought there this morning, but she was in no mood to complain. She made quick work of undoing the intricate style of her curls then lowered herself into the water.

Andromeda sighed and chewed on her lip in thought, bringing her knees up to her chest. Things were changing so quickly. Thor was gone, banished, and she might not see him ever again. Once a favorite of Odin had now fallen out of his father's favor. She didn't even get to say goodbye.

He was an oaf and she wishes he was here just so she could slap him for leaving her like this. Did he think of anyone else when he decided to march on? Any consequence? What was she to do without him?

He was her best friend. Her shoulder to cry on. Her confidant. She loved him, maybe not in the way that he…

Andromeda paused in her thought and bit her thumbnail, squinting at nothing.

Maybe she did, maybe that was the problem. Maybe she had been pining after the wrong brother this whole time. Or maybe not.

Maybe she was in love with both?

Andromeda scoffed at herself; how selfish could she be? There were women through all the realms that could not find one man to love and she had two. Maybe the words said about her were true; maybe she was just a trollop who struck gold.

The princess whimpered and ducked her head under water, staying under until her lungs burned. She emerged with a deep breath and she wiped the water from her face.

"Mother." She breathed out, looking up to the heavens at nothing. "I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're even still there. You have not come to me in so long... " She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, her lip trembling, "I'm so scared mama. Thor might die and I… I don't think I could live without him, mama. After you and father and Perseus left me I… I wanted nothing more than to die. And those feelings are creeping up again and I'm terrified…" She took a long breath, though shaky it was and licked her lips, clasping her hands together. "Any blessing that is meant for me can be blocked and given to Thor, any pledge of protection I have from all of you can be directed towards him." Her pretty face began to grimace and tears feel down her cheeks, "I love him." She murmured, almost inaudibly. "I love him, mama, and it's a shame the threat of death took me to see it."

Andromeda choked back a sob and sunk further into the water, feeling like a little girl. "Mother," She whispered again, "Father, Perseus, Cosima, Ares. Please watch over him… both of them. I do not know what ails my first love but I can feel the hurt. It's so selfish of me but I love him, too. Even if he is guilty, no one deserves the pain of not knowing who they are." The beauty frowned, her eyes glazed over as she noted, "Of all the years I have lived I feel like I know nothing."

With that, Andromeda grabbed a cloth and washed the dirt from her body. She scrubbed at her scalp with soap, and when she was finished, she stood from the tub and wrapped herself in a towel. She padded over to the mirror and looked at her reflection; red eyes, dark skin and curls that went to her waist. Her mouth twitched and a disgusted grimace was painted on her face.

Andromeda reached for a dagger under the sink and dropped her hold on her towel. Gripping her brunette curls, she angrily began to slash through them with the knife. When she finally let up with her assualt, hair was pooled at her feet and her long hair was now to her shoulders, albeit a bit uneven.

If anyone asked, she would just say she was in mourning.

The princess padded out of the bathroom to find that Loki was still asleep, though now he was clinging to a pillow. She quietly dressed herself in a white sundress that left her arms bare and crossed over her back like an 'x'. She grabbed a ribbon from her vanity and tied her curls back into a ponytail, leaving her feet bare as always as she silently left the room, taking care to close the door quietly.

It took her exactly twenty minutes, the five additional ones because she had slightly forgotten the way, to arrive at her hidden oasis. Andromeda pushed the overgrown trees and bushes away, being careful to avoid stepping on any rocks. Her gasp was loud as she laid eyes on the paradise, having forgotten how beautiful it was.

When Andromeda had her bout with depression after everything she had was taking away from her, all she did all day was lie in bed. One day, she finally got out of bed and wandered out of the palace in a haze. It seemed as if she was possessed and when she came to, she was in front of a beautiful waterfall and a stream. It was a hidden treasure, away from anyone and anything, and it was all hers. She had come there for weeks every day and saw no one, it was something she could call all her own.

Standing at the edge of the stream, she undid her dress and pulled the ribbon from her uneven hair. She took a deep breath of air and stepped into the stream, the cool water licking at her skin. When the water was up to her waist, she dived under.

She emerged from the water a minute later, flinging her hair back. She breathed lowly and laid back, floating around absentmindedly. Usually, when she was this conflicted she could go to Thor or Sif, but one was banished and the other blamed her for it.

The princess pouted and submerged herself once more, not coming up until her lungs began to burn. She popped her head above the water and let out a little yelp as she caught sight of the Allmother.

Frigga was still breathtakingly beautiful, though she had a solemn aura around her. Her auburn hair was braided to the side and she was adorned in a teal gown, her lips painted pink.

"Queen Frigga." Andromeda greeted, swimming to the edge of stream and getting out. She put her sundress back on and bowed her head. She let out a gasp as her surrogate mother's arms wrapped around her.

"I cannot believe he's gone." Frigga sobbed softly, even through her tears, her voice rang like bells.

Andromeda sighed and patted the elder woman's hair, a soothing hand running over her back. "I am so sorry."

Frigga pulled away and looked into Andromeda's eyes, her hands cupping the princess' cheeks. "Oh dear." She muttered, her eyes going to the young beauty's wet hair. "What have you done to your hair?"

Andromeda held in a laugh, the Queen sounding exactly like the other Queen she knew. "I am in mourning."

"Oh you sweet girl." Frigga whimpered with a frown, "How are you dwelling?"

"I am managing." The beauty breathed, before biting her lip, "Thor's my best friend."

The Queen raised a dainty brow then and rubbed her thumbs against Andromeda's bare shoulders. She raised a hand and brushed a curl behind the young woman's ear dotingly before smiling. "Best friend, indeed." The royal noted, cupping the princess' face.

Andromeda's eyes widened though she said nothing in response. Frigga merely giggled to herself, sniffling just a bit from her previous tears. She opened her mouth to speak once more but a guard came galloping toward them.

"Excuse the intrusion your highness," The guard started, bowing his head, "But the Allfather has gone into an Odinsleep."

Frigga's face fell and without hesitation she commanded, "Get off your horse." The guard obeyed immediately and the Queen mounted the steed, holding a hand out for Andromeda. As soon as the younger woman was on the horse, the Queen took off toward the palace.

Moments later the women were bursting into the royal chamber. Frigga ran to her husband's bedside while Andromeda stayed by the door, her eyes glancing at Loki who sat by the bed.

The princess bowed her head and left the room, feeling the weight of death on her body. Though the king was not dead, his current state was not any better to her. On her way down the hall, a wall of guards passed by her, one carrying a golden scepter.

Andromeda's brows furrowed and she turned to watch them, wondering what was about to occur. Shaking her head, she decided to return to her own chambers.

Happy to be alone again, the princess locked her door and stripped herself bare. Sitting at her vanity, she began to run a brush through her short hair, wincing at the uneven state of it.

A knock sounded at her door moments later and she rose from her seat, wrapping a robe around her body. "Yes?" She asked, peeking her head out.

"I was wondering where you were, child." Ragna stated instead of a greeting. The old woman's eyes widened at the sight of the royal. "What in the realms have you done to your hair?"

Andromeda's face flushed and she shrugged, opening the door wider for the servant to come in. "I am in mourning…?"

"By the nine!" Ragna exclaimed, shutting the door and running her hands through Andromeda's hair, "You hacked it off! Why did you not use shears? You look like a feline!"

The princess pouted at her mother-like servant as she was ushered to the vanity. Ragna clicked her teeth and opened a drawer in the wooden dresser, pulling out golden shears. "Well I will just have to fix this mess!"

"Do not make it too short, Ragna!" Andromeda pleaded, her eyes widening when she heard the snip of the scissors.

"You were not worried about your hair being too short when you cut it, were you?"

Andromeda pouted once more and crossed her arms, glaring at her reflection. In a measly ten minutes, Ragna was done and her hair was even. The elder woman even braided half of it back for her, placing a white flower in the plait.

"There. All done." Ragna smiled, tucking a strand down. "You still are the epitome of grace and beauty."

"Thank you." Andromeda smiled as Ragna walked to her dresser and pulled out a white gown to match her flower. The princess was helped into a long white dress with equally long sleeves that flared out. As Andromeda was admiring her hair in the mirror, a knock sounded at the door. Ragna rushed to open it.

The beauty tried to listen to see who it was but she heard nothing, only the door closing. Her brown brows furrowed and she turned around, only to see Loki standing there. Andromeda looked on curiously as he stepped toward her, silent and solemn. He reached out and tugged on one of her curls lightly, her green eyes following it as it bounced.

"You cut your hair." Loki finally spoke, his eyes dancing over her head. "You look radiant."

Andromeda nodded in thanks, her brows still furrowed. "Are you alright-!"

"I am King now." Loki interjected before she could finish. "I am the King of Asgard."

The bronze beauty's breath was taken away from her in a gasp and she covered her mouth with her hand. It took a moment for her to actually acknowledge what he had said and she took a step back from him, bowing deeply.

"Don't." Loki muttered, pulling her up from her position. "If there is anyone who I wouldn't allow to kneel to me; it's you."

Andromeda's brown eyes searched the King's greens and she nodded, placing a hand on his cheek. "How do you feel?" She questioned in a whisper.

"Afraid." The King admitted, tilting his face to nuzzle his nose against her hand. He raised his own hand to place over hers and turned his head, his lips on her palm. "What if I fail?"

"You won't." Andromeda assured him, though she was not so sure herself.

"Everyone is counting on me." Loki whispered, his eyes looking past the princess. "I need to keep Asgard safe, I need to make father proud… I do not know if I can do this alone."

"You will not have to, you have your mother." Andromeda said, watching his eyes fall on hers again, only for them to look away. "You have me." She added quietly.

"What if they found out what I am?" The words came out so quiet but they echoed in the room.

The princess placed her other hand on his face and made him look at her, "It does not matter what you are, Loki. You will do what's right for Asgard and your people will love you for it as I do."

Loki's gaze fell to her lips before he closed his eyes, a choked sob stifled by his pursed lips. "I love you." He muttered and when his eyes met hers again, tears pooled from them.

"I love you, too." Andromeda replied honestly, a reassuring smile on her lips as she wipes his tears.

"Then marry me." Loki uttered, his green eyes pleading. "I can give you a kingdom now and whatever you desire. We can rule side by-!"

"No, Loki." Andromeda shook her head, removing her hands from him. "I cannot marry you. Not now."

The newly appointed King looked pitifully down at her, a frown on his face. "But I love you."

"I love you, too, but I cannot… I…" Andromeda fought her mind with confession she wanted to make. "I…" she tried again before sighing and closing her eyes, "I just can't."

Loki swallowed thickly and licked his lips, his eyes going to the ground before landing on hers steely. "Is there another?"

The beauty didn't even pause in her lie, shaking her head sadly. "I just can't. You have hurt me too many times. Maybe sometime in the future, but not now, Loki."

The King stared at her for a unsettling amount of time, his face blank though tears still stained his cheeks. He turned away from her and left without a word.

One thing went through the princess' mind as she stood there gripping her vanity; He knew.


	30. Cruel Intentions

"Can I come home?" A banished prince pleaded with his brother in a room of mirrors on Midgard. His blue eyes shined with tears, for he had just been informed that his father had died. His time on Midgard had began to change him, though not enough to give him the power to lift Mjolnir. The prince was in an interrogation room, full of self loathing and sadness, and now his brother was telling him that he had to stay on earth.

"This is goodbye, brother." His brother, now king, informed him with a solemn expression. Followed by a, "I'm so sorry."

"No," The banished prince murmured, truly broken, "I am sorry." He replied sincerely, "Thank you for coming here."

His brother nodded to him, "Farewell." He said as he began to take his leave.

The banished prince's face twisted into a saddened grimace, before his head shot up again. "Wait." He pleaded and the new king stopped, turning around to face him. "What of Andromeda? Is she…" The man paused, swallowing, "Is she alright?"

His brother blinked before nodding once. "She misses you." He uttered, and the banished man felt a small relief, only for it to be taken away, "We are to be married in a month."

Thor thought his heart had stopped beating but he gave his brother a small smile, nodding. "Congratulations, I know you two will be great rulers."

"Thank you, brother." The king nodded, before turning to leave for the final time.

"Goodbye." The banished prince whispered, his head falling into his hands.

The new king of Asgard set his jaw as he appeared in front of the prized mjolnir. Surely he would be able to lift it; he was king now after all. He clasped a hand around the handle and pulled with no avail. Placing both his hands around the handle, Loki pulled with all his might, but the hammer would not move.

Pity, he would have to leave it with such imbeciles on Midgard. The king returned to the bifrost with no problem, morphing into his royal robes as he walked through the observatory. Everything was going swimmingly, Thor was banished, Laufey was to attack, and he was king. The only obstacle he had to overcome was tiny, sunkissed and curved.

From his response, the king could tell that something had gone on with Thor and Andromeda. He just did not know what. He would find out soon enough and erase the memory of the oaf from the beauty's head, then she would be all his. A perfect queen for a perfect kingdom, all he had to do was pull a few loose strings in her head.

The sound of children's laughter rang out through the forest as Princess Andromeda sat on a tree stump telling one of her legendary stories about the Gods of her world. This particular one was about Persephone and Hades, the connection to herself and the King being much too obvious.

The babes hung on Andromeda's every word, for the princess was a great storyteller; she had learned from the best, the best being Ares when she was younger.

How she missed him and Cosima. He was always so strict with her but that was only because he cared. Even though he was only a decade older than her, he was still like a father. It was only fitting that he was wed to Cosima, her other mother. Ares was such a kind and brave soul. She only wished she could still speak to him as she did with her mother.

"Though Persephone was a child of Zeus, Hades wanted her badly." As Andromeda spoke this line the children gasped. The princess nodded with wide eyes, "He would watch her from below as she played in the fields." The children 'awed' wonderfully.

"Was she beautiful?" A little girl with golden hair questioned, hugging her knees.

"She was...breathtaking." Andromeda sighed dreamily, "Her hair was long and brown and her eyes shined of an ivy green. She would wear pink flowers in her hair and her dress was always beige, though sometimes it would be lined in gold. Branches would wind around her head in a crown and she had a special ability; she could speak to the plants!"

The children gasped again, looking on excitedly. Andromeda smiled, "She would spend hours and hours on end in the fields playing."

"Was she golden like you, princess?" A boy asked with wide eyes.

The beauty smiled and shook her head, "She was not blessed as I am with my sunkissed glow."

The kids groaned and the same little boy shouted, "So she wasn't pretty like you, Princess Andy!"

A series of 'yeahs!' followed the statement and Andromeda's face grew hot, waving off their comments.

"Settle down children! Settle down. She was still beautiful in her own way as all of you are. She was just… greek." Andromeda shrugged before continuing her story.

In the middle of the tale, when it was getting good, a horse rode up to the gathering of children. Andromeda looked up over her audience and furrowed her brow, for Lady Sif was walking towards her.

Sif stopped in front of Andromeda and got on one knee, her fist over her chest. "Pardon me, Princess Andromeda but I do request your audience on an urgent matter."

Andromeda blinked at the formality of the gesture before nodding, standing from her stoop. The kids groaned and Andromeda shushed them, "I will continue this story tomorrow when the sun is in the middle of the sky. Do not be late!"

At that the children dispersed, leaving Sif and Andromeda alone.

Andromeda crossed her arms, raising a petite brow. "We are suddenly friends again?"

Sif rolled her eyes, mimicking the princess' stance. "I, well, the Warriors Three and I need your help."

Andromeda furrowed her brows and uncrossed her arms, her expression now one of interest. "What help could I be?"

The warrior looked around the small clearing before taking a step closer to her old friend. "It is about Thor." She muttered, watching Andromeda's eyes grow wide, "We requested Loki return him to Asgard, though we did not get through to the new king. We were wondering if you could appeal to his… sensibilities and have him end Thor's banishment."

Andromeda bit her lip and tucked a curl behind her ear. "I don't know…" She started and Sif snorted.

"Of course!" The warrior exclaimed accusingly, "Because you're in cahoots with him!"

The beauty sucked her teeth and pushed Sif, pressing a finger to her lips. "No, I simply meant that Loki is not too impressed with me right now…." she trailed before widening her eyes at Sif, "He might know."

"He might know?" Sif echoed, her brows furrowing, "About what?"

Huffing, Andromeda yanked her old friend's arm, "He. Might. Know."

In an instant, Sif's eyes widened and she gripped Andromeda's arms. "He knows?"

"He might!" Andromeda supplied, her eyes just as wide.

"Wait, does he know about that night?" Sif hinted, her eyebrows raised, "Or something I don't know?"

"I don't know!" Andromeda exclaimed, "I don't even know if he knows but the simple thought of him knowing is making me nauseous and I haven't had a friend to speak to this about!" The princess finally erupted, her chest heaving. She wrapped her arms around herself and frowned. "Sif I love him."

Sif rolled her eyes uncaringly, "I know." She sighed, before getting a pointed look from the princess. The warrior's eyes widened for the third time that day, "You love him?" Andromeda sadly nodded. "For how long?"

"I don't know." Andromeda whispered, tears welling up in her eyes, "But I do and now I have two hearts in my hands," She muttered, looking between her palms, "But what one might be lost forever."

Sif's gaze softened at Andromeda's tears. She might have been angry with her but she was still her friend; one of the best friends she has had. So the warrior wrapped her arms around her lithe friend and comforted her, rubbing her back soothingly.

"He's asked me to marry him twice now." Andromeda murmured into Sif's neck. "I have said no but I do not know how many more oppositions he will take. I have wished for this for so long but now… I just don't know."

"It will be alright, Andromeda." Sif assured her, pulling away from the embrace and wiping her tears. "Your secrets are always safe with me." The warrior promised, squeezing the royal's shoulders.

Andromeda sniffled, looking into Sif's eyes, "I am so sorry." She muttered sincerely, though the apology was for more than the situation at hand.

"It is alright." Sif managed to smile, "It was never me. At least I know now that you love him, too."

The princess nodded and patted her friend's shoulder, "I'll do all that I can to help. I promise." She pledged, placing a fist over her heart.

Sif nodded with a small smile and hugged the princess again, happy to be friends once again.

The two made their way back to the palace, Andromeda riding on the back of Sif's horse. The princess was quiet, a little too quiet, which let Sif know that she was up to something. They arrived at the palace and Andromeda thanked Sif absentmindedly before walking away, her dress trailing behind her.

To say she had a plan would be an overstatement, but Andromeda did have an idea of what she was going to do. Her beauty was a tool, her mother had taught her that much, and she planned to use it to her advantage. After all, her eyes were said to be able to stop a war.

The beauty reached the throne room and paused, stopping just before the doorway. She ran a hand through her short curls and pinched her lips to add color to them, all the while her heartbeat was more of a hum. She pulled her dress down just so, revealing the little cleavage she was blessed with and ran a hand along her curves, psyching herself up into manipulating a king.

With a deep inhale and her chin up, Andromeda floated into the room, her barefeet lightly tapping against the golden ground. She glanced up quickly to see Loki sitting on the throne, adorned with his golden helm. She quickly reached the stairs of throne and bowed deeply.

"Andromeda!" Loki chuckled her name and she glanced up at him through her lashes, "I have told you that you of all people did not need to bow to me."

Andromeda stood up straight and smiled charmingly, shrugging her shoulders in faux sincerity, "I was just being polite." She teased, lifting her dress and climbing up the steps. From his reaction, he seemed happy to see her; she was calmed just a bit.

The beauty sat on the armrest of the royal throne, crossing her legs at the ankle. "How does the King of Asgard fair on this beautiful day?"

"Much better now that you are here." Loki replied with a sly grin, grasping one of her hands in his. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles adoringly, his green eyes bright. "You look lovely on Asgard's throne, Andromeda."

The princess smiled bashfully, knowing her act down to the tea. "You seem… different." She muttered unsurely, looking away with a frown, "I thought you'd still be angry with me."

"Oh Andromeda," She heard his voice slither out in his mocking tone of comfort before two fingers touched her chin and tilted her face towards him, "I could never be angry at you. This whole situation is my fault but I promise that I will win your heart once more."

Andromeda sighed before getting up from her seat, crossing her arms and turning her back towards him. "I've just been so upset lately…" She trailed, her voice wavering with faux tears. "I've lost so much. Between you and my best friend… I just don't know what to do!" She blubbered, covering her face with her hands.

The princess managed to squeeze out some real tears as she sobbed, holding in a smirk when she was pulled into the king's arms. "Andromeda." Her name was muttered above her as a hand caressed her back. The beauty looked up with watery eyes and a pout on her lips. "Andromeda," Loki repeated, his face solemn. "I was going to wait to tell you tonight but I received grave news this morning from Midgard."

Andromeda froze and her act was forgotten. Her stomach dropped to her feet and she swallowed thickly. "Well," She spoke after a moment of silence, "Tell me."

Loki sighed, his green eyes gazing into hers deeply. "Thor is dead."

All of the air left Andromeda and her eyes widened, real tears lining her vision. She licked her lips and looked up at Loki, her eyes narrowed. "Is this a joke?" The brunette whispered breathlessly. "Are you mocking me?"

"I am afraid not." The King replied evenly, pulling her into his chest once again. "I did not want to tell you just yet but I would not want you to hear it from anyone else."

"How?" The princess muttered, slightly leaning away from him. "How?"

Loki looked away from her eyes, uttering back, "The humans are barbaric."

"Oh my gods." Andromeda cried, putting a hand to her chest. Her crinkled into a grimace and she sniffed as the tears fell from her eyes.

"He suffered." Loki added quietly, watching as the princess bring her hand to her mouth. He stepped towards her and tried to embrace her once more, but she put a hand on his chest.

"I need to be alone." Andromeda whispered, hurrying out of the throne room. She wiped the tears from her face before balling her dress up in her hands and beginning to run. The beauty pushed open the door to the garden was blinded by white.

Andromeda dropped to her knees and looked around the garden Thor had curated for her a century ago. She picked a flower up from the trail and held it in her hands, her fingers brushing over the petals.

"What is wrong with me?" The princess muttered, staring up at the sky. "Every man I love dies." Her voice cracked and she began to cry again, hugging her knees to her body.

"Am I cursed?" Andromeda questioned the heavens, "A joke of the gods, I realize I love a man and he dies." She muttered, crushing the flower in her hand.

"So you do love him." A voice sounded behind her and the princess did not even have to look to know who it was.

Andromeda sighed, grabbing another flower and still staring at the sky. "He was my best friend."

"But you felt more." The king urged, his voice getting closer to her. "Odin knows, how the oaf felt about you."

"Don't." The beauty warned, her tone low, "How could you speak of the dead that way?"

"I should have seen it." Loki continued, ignoring her. "The way he looked at you, the way he spoke of you. I might have known he would try something but for you to reciprocate his feelings…"

"Be quiet." Andromeda pleaded, her eyes closing. "You don't know what you are talking about."

"You slept with him." The king accused his tone scathing. "My own brother! A Midgardian harlot, the people were right about you."

The beauty stood up then, whipping around and point an accusing finger at the king. "Don't." She hissed, her eyes narrowed, "How dare you call me a harlot when you, crowned Prince of Asgard, was bedding every fair maiden that looked your way!" Her voice raised with every single word.

The king had the decency to look ashamed for a moment before his eyes returned her glare, "Did his title attract you? Did you want to be a queen so badly?"

"If. I. Did," Andromeda spat each word out before tilting her head, "Don't you think I would have married you?"

Loki grimaced and shook his head, "You are not going to turn this around on me. You slept with my brother, if he is the only one you have bedded in these many years."

"Well I am happy to inform you that he is." The beauty replied evenly, crossing her arms.

"Well I am happy to inform you that he is dead." Loki retorted, watching the princess' smug face fall.

"That's disgusting." Andromeda spat, her eyes glistening. "He is your brother and you are rejoicing in his death."

"I am rejoicing in your pain, my love." The king corrected with a smirk, "And he is not my brother, only competition for the throne."

"Oh my gods." The princess breathed, shaking her head, "You have become so cruel." She muttered, though instead of a glare accompanying her words it was a look of pity. The king was a little disarmed by her sad eyes and his own narrowed. "I want to be angry but I am just sad. Your thirst for the throne has killed your brother and you…" She trailed, her eyes searching, "Are trying to kill me." The beauty smiled sadly at the king before picking her dress up and walking around him, she got to the double doors before pausing looking over her shoulder, "I won't tell anyone about Thor's death until you make your announcement."

With that, Andromeda walked away; from more than just the wannabe king.

Loki watched her leave with narrowed eyes, his expression falling when the door closed. He looked around the white garden with a scowl, angry at himself for letting her get to him. "Little minx." He muttered, rolling his eyes.

The princess did not know what she was talking about, he tried to tell himself. She had never ruled. Some things just need to be done, a kind ruler never gets anything accomplished. You have to plan.

Admittedly, he was a bit ashamed of himself for getting so angry at her. He shouldn't have called her a harlot, that would be hard to bounce back from. But it was no matter, everything else was going wonderfully, the little spitfire couldn't rain on his parade.

He would have her soon enough.


	31. Birth and Death

Night had fallen over Asgard. The moon shined and flooded in through the palace windows, all except for one, where the curtains were shut tight.

It was the room of a foreign princess who became a citizen of Asgard. A crying princess who was mourning the death of a fallen prince. Of two fallen princes; one that doesn't know he'd fallen yet.

Even as a battle waged that she was unaware of, the woman was too saddened to notice or even care for that matter. Her shortened curls pooled around her head as she cried into a pillow, still in her nightgown from the evening before. She had not slept since, though her eyes were red and heavy from crying. She had so much on her mind and heart, that she was afraid of what would come to her mind if she slept. She was afraid of herself.

A knock sounded at her door and she wailed, "GO AWAY!" For the fourth time that day and she was obeyed again.

The princess had not eaten, but she couldn't even bare the thought of food when she felt so terrible. Back at home, when people were in mourning they fasted for a week and that's what she would do. She'd fast in respect to Thor's death.

Andromeda pulled her face from her soaken wet pillow and sniffed, wiping her eyes. She looked over to her nightstand to see a blooming white flower, picking up and watching it bloom in her hands. The beauty's tears started up again and she crossed her legs, running a finger over the petals.

"He was there all along and I did not even see…" Andromeda trailed in a whisper, "How could I not see?"

Biting her lip, she frowned, throwing the flower away from her. "Oaf, stupid, buff, oaf!" She cursed with a pout, "How could you leave me all alone! Oaf."

Her moods alternated throughout the night, she would go from sad to angry, but she ultimately ended up right where she started.

A large thundering boom echoed through the kingdom and shook the room. Andromeda furrowed her brow and opened her curtains for the first time that day, looking up into the sky. She squinted her eyes at the rainbow bridge, where a bright light was flashing in the distance.

"What in the world?" The beauty muttered, tilting her head. She put a hand over her eyes to get a closer look but was blinded as a bright white light erupted from the bridge and a wave hit the kingdom, making her fall to the floor.

Andromeda rubbed her eyes furiously, trying to get the spots from her vision as footsteps ran past her door. Closing her eyes, the princess felt her way to her bed, climbing in it and rubbing her eyes again. Frantic noises sounded from outside the palace and in the halls people were running but she could not see a thing.

As she waited for her eyesight to return, Andromeda played with the material of her dress to calm herself down. "It was probably nothing." She whispered to no one, "Probably just an accident, everything is fine. You are safe."

After a half an hour, she was still not able to see and she was getting worried. A knock sounded at her door and she rushed to get out of the bed, yelping as she fell to the ground. She used her hands to crawl her way to the door, placing her hand against it to feel for a knock.

Another knock, let her know she was at the door and she slowly stood, unlocking the door and pulling it open. She heard nothing and she turned her head around worriedly, "Hello?" The princess called, her heart pounding. "I cannot see, please answer me if you are there." She held a shaking hand up to feel for someone and she felt a chest. The beauty furrowed her brows and raised another hand on the chest, then feeling the person's thick arms and travelling up to their bearded neck.

"Andromeda." Thor's voice met her ears and her face twisted into a grimace. "It is me."

Andromeda paused beginning to shake her head, "This cannot…" She muttered, tears coming to her red eyes a she cupped the person's cheeks and their hands fell on top of hers. Soft lips pressed into her palm and she put her head down, "I can't see, the blast blinded me." She stammered, taking another step toward him and wrapping her arms around the prince. The brunette felt his strong arms embrace her and she cried, "He told me you were dead."

"I'm here." Thor assured her, rubbing her back and pressing his lips against her forehead, "I'm here."

Andromeda blinked the stars from her eyes as her vision slowly began to return, she slowly separated from Thor and looked up at his face, nearly sobbing when she saw his blue eyes. "Oh my Gods…" She whispered, placing a hand on his cheek, "Thor… you are-!" The beauty interrupted herself and embraced him again, pressing her cheek to his chest. Thor smiled and buried his nose into her hair, taking in her scent of roses and earth.

Andromeda pulled away with a large smile, her eyes shining. "Gods, we have so much to talk about! How was your trip to Midgard? Was it any different from when I lived there? Did you make any friends? How did you get your powers back?" With every inquiry, the princess tugged him further into her room, nearly bouncing on her feet, "Oh Thor, I am so happy to see you." She breathed, twirling around to face him.

Thor grinned at her, his eyes studying her face. "You cut your hair." He noted, tugging at a curl. "You look beautiful." The princess smiled shyly, biting her lip and tugging at her nightgown. The prince raised a brow at his old friend's newfound bashfulness.

Andromeda caught the look he gave her and rolled her eyes with a huff, "Oh don't give me that look! I missed you!" She playfully snapped, hitting his chest. "I had no one to tease."

"Is that the only reason?" Thor questioned deeply, fighting the urge to tell her what just transpired on the rainbow bridge. "I sense that you are withholding information from me." He smirked at her and Andromeda scoffed.

"Maybe the Midgardian air has messed with your head." The beauty quipped, sitting on her bed and crossing her arms.

Thor grinned widely, missing the way her pretty brown eyes narrowed at him. His smile faltered a bit and he sat next to her on the bed, "I want to congratulate you," He started, looking into her eyes, "On your engagement."

"Engagement." Andromeda echoed, furrowing her brows, "What in the worlds are you talking about?"

"Loki told me-!"

"Ugh," The princess scoffed, "Loki seemed to tell us both a lot of things. But I can assure you I am not engaged, especially not to him." She spat, before sighing. "It's been awful since you've been gone. I really fear that Loki has lost his mind. He got so angry with me because…" The brunette paused, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Well the reason is not important but he's gone mad with power." She bit her lip before shaking her head, crossing her legs under her and smiling, "But enough of that, you have tell me about Midgard!"

A grin spread over Thor's face and he breathed, "It was magnificent! The midgardians have evolved so much in these last centuries."

"Oh that's wonderful." Andromeda clapped, leaning forward, "Tell me more!"

"Their technologies are nowhere near ours, but they are very impressive for a society that doesn't believe in magic. Their religion has changed too, they don't believe in your Gods anymore. In fact, they read about our world in books, they think it is a myth." The princess giggled, shaking her head in disbelief. Thor nodded excitedly and smiled slyly at her, "They even have scripts about you."

"Me?" Andromeda questioned with a large grin, "What do they say?"

"They tell the tale of your life in Aethiopia and the fate of your family, though they believe that you were sacrificed to the Gods, only to be saved by Perseus. The two of you eventually get married." Thor rehashed the tale as much as he could, the princess beaming at him, "They say that you were the most beautiful creature on Midgard and that to this day, you can be spotted watching from the stars."

"Oh my Gods," Andromeda sighed dreamily, putting a hand to her chest, "The stars… That's beautiful." She laughed breathlessly, her sapling eyes looking up at Thor. He smiled back at her and stroked her cheek. The princess bit her lip and cleared her throat, "Um, did you make any friends?"

Thor's eyes lip up and he nodded, "There was this woman, Jane. She was so intelligent, she did not believe in magic but in science. She helped me retrieve Mjolnir and I am so indebted to her…" The prince trailed, a fond smile on his face while his eyes glazed over.

Andromeda smile slightly faltered but she recovered, grinning widely, "That is wonderful, Thor." She insisted, putting a hand on his shoulder, "When can I meet her?"

The golden prince frowned then, his eyes downcast, "You cannot. For the rainbow bridge that connects this world to hers has been destroyed."

Though she silently rejoiced in her head, outwardly the princess frowned, placing a hand on her friend's knee. "I'm so sorry." She whispered before realizing, "Was that the bright light I saw?"

Thor nodded silently before biting his lip, taking her small hands in his. "Andromeda," He started lowly, looking into her eyes, "There is something I must tell you."

The beauty furrowed her brows as her heart hammered in her chest. She looked down at their joined hands before glancing up at Thor. She squeezed his hands as he hesitated, giving him a reassuring smile, "You can tell me anything, Thor." The brunette assured, leaning slightly forward.

"Loki is dead." At the words, Andromeda pulled her hands away from his, wrapping her arms around herself. She looked down at her lap and said nothing. Thor continued to speak, his eyes watching her filled with sorrow, "He came to Midgard to confront me and we fought, all the way to the bridge. He fell off the side and father offered his hand to him, but he let go. Andromeda-!" He reached for her but she moved away, still not looking at him.

"I need…" The brunette started, getting up from the bed slowly, "I need to go." She choked out the last word, turning on her heel and hurrying out of her room. Andromeda padded through the hallway hastily, breathing heavily through her mouth. She needed to get away from the palace, she gathered her nightgown in her hand and began to run, quiet sobs leaving her. The beauty pushed open a palace door and ran the way to her secret oasis, dropping to her knees when she got to the waterfall.

Andromeda covered her face with her hands and cried, letting out a scream that echoed like thunder through the kingdom. She fell forward and sobbed into the grass, curling herself up into a ball.

"Is it true?" She choked out, her eyes gleaming with tears, "Shouldn't I feel something if you are really dead?" The princess whispered, desperately trying to speak to the fallen prince. She raised her hand to the pendant around her neck before yanking at it, only to be horrified when the chain easily broke.

Andromeda let out a shaky sob, biting her bottom lip. She stared at the pendant for a moment longer before flinging it into the water. Her lip trembled as she tucked her hair behind her ears. "I could have helped him, I could have…" She shook her head, sniffling, "To just throw your life away, and for what? Because you couldn't be king anymore? I know I was angry at you but I never stopped…" The beauty sighed and fiddled with her hands, "Just because I loved him too, doesn't mean I loved you any less."

The princess of a long forgotten kingdom, shifted so that she was on her knees and looked up to the heavens. "Perseus, my love. You still have a piece of my heart and you always will. You came to me in a dream and told me 'he' would always take care of me, but who were you referring to?" She bit her lip and pressed her palms together, pleading, "Please. You haven't come to me in my dreams since then, and frankly," She chuckled through her tears, "I miss you, you old pain." She licked her lips before shifting again, "Loki is dead and it seems my earlier sentiment was right, that everyone I love perishes. Is it me? Am I the curse that always brings despair? Is that my purpose? Is my beauty to disguise my true intentions that I cannot change?"

"No." A strong voice sounded behind her and she gaped, looking up at the heavens once again. She glanced over her shoulder to see Thor. "It is not."

Andromeda shook her head, laughing at herself, "How embarrassing." She muttered, standing up and trying to wipe the dirt from her gown. As he got closer to her she brushed the tears from her face, trying to smile. "I don't usually pray. Only in dire situations," She began to ramble, running hand through her hair, "I-I-I prayed that my family would watch over on Earth and I prayed that you would return safely. But when Loki told me you were dead, it hurt me so badly that I figured I was cursed. But then you were alive! And I was proven wrong, only to be proven right again." The beauty laughed, tears falling down her cheeks again. "The funniest thing is that by the time I realized that I loved you, you found someone else." She choked, smiling widely, "Isn't that funny?" Andromeda questioned before her smile dropped and she turned away from the prince.

Thor didn't know what to say, he wanted to comfort her but he didn't have the words. He was never good at that kind of thing. "Andromeda," He started lowly, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "I may feel something for Jane, but you are my first and oldest love. Uh, that may have come out wrong, I was not calling you old." The golden prince sighed before stepping in front of her and looking into her eyes, "I am not good with words and you are aware of this, for you tease about it every chance you get." The princess' mouth twitched but she still sniffled, "From the time I landed on Midgard to me coming home, I have only thought of you."

Andromeda shook her head, "But this 'Jane'-!"

"I will never be able to see Jane again." Thor informed her, squeezing her shoulders, "Even if I were able to, I would still want you." He cupped her cheeks, wiping her tears with his thumbs, "I love you Andromeda." The princess' eyes widened and her mouth gaped, she searched Thor's eyes while her own fluttered. "I have always loved you and I always will."

Andromeda was speechless. A part of her had always known but to have him explicitly say it to her… It made her tears well up once again. "I…" She started, placing her hands on his chest, "I love you too." The beauty whispered before standing on the tips of her toes and kissing him with everything she had.

Thor eagerly returned the kiss, dropping his hands from her face to wrap around her body. Andromeda's wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer to her, ignoring the taste of tears. She separated their lips and flattened her feet against the grass, letting out a watery laugh when Thor reached out and curled a strand of her hair around his finger. "I cut it because of you, you know." She informed him, licking her lips, "I told everyone I was mourning."

Thor chuckled along with her and pressed his lips to her forehead, pulling her close. "We will get through this, Andromeda." He promised her, looking to the heavens, "Together."

"I have no doubt that we will." Andromeda replied, pulling away from the embrace. She smiled up at him before picking up her dress and moving to the water, sitting on the edge of the stream and slipping her feet in. The prince followed her action, taking off his boots and rolling up his trousers.

"How did you find this place?" Thor questioned, watching her reflection in the water.

"It found me." Andromeda answered honestly, "Every time I am sad or afraid, it calls to me. I always end up here."

"And here I thought that is why you went to my garden." The prince accused with a wink.

Andromeda laughed, "I go there when I'm thoughtful. This is more of a paradise. More of mine. It… reminds me of home." The beauty breathed, her eyes glazing over.

Thor smiled at her words, leaning over to whisper in her ear, "You know what reminds me of home?" The princess turned to him in surprise and shook her head. "You." Andromeda's face twisted into a scoff and he laughed, nudging her with his shoulder. "I'm serious! Your eyes are soft but expressive like my mother's. Your words are strong but teasing like my brother's. And your mind is as sharp as my father's. Not to mention how you smell."

"How I smell?" Andromeda echoed incredulously.

The prince nodded with a chuckle, "Yes. When I was on Midgard I was reminded of you often because of the smell of roses. And your skin," Thor started and Andromeda rolled her eyes as he took hold of her arm, running a finger along it, "Your skin has been kissed by the sun and blessed by the moon. The Midgardians were not lying when they said you are a child of the stars."

Andromeda's face flushed and she looked away from Thor's intense eyes, though she still shivered at the feeling of his calloused finger on her arm. "Your eyes," He continued, brushing a finger around both of them, "Shine like the first sap of a tree, when you're happy that is. When you're angry they burn like fire. Your nose-!"

"My nose?" Andromeda giggled as he tapped it.

"Your nose," Thor nodded with a grin, "Perfect for your face, it crinkles when you are upset or flustered, which you are now."

"No." Andromeda muttered, despite her nose giving her away.

"Your lips," The prince proclaimed before sighing, tracing them with his finger, "I do not think we have the time for me to speak about your lips or your smile… or your pout." He quipped, making her laugh. His eyes watched her for a moment before grinning himself, "You're beautiful, Andromeda."

The princess softly smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. She saw her old friend leaning in once more, and moved to reciprocate the kiss. At the last minute, she pushed him into the stream. Andromeda fell back with a loud cackle, only to squeal when she was pulled in by her feet. She broke the surface to see Thor taking off his armor and putting it at the edge of the stream.

"That was not funny." He tried to frown but his mouth was turned up at the ends.

Andromeda ran a hand through her wet curls and snickered, "You are right...It was very funny!" She exclaimed, laughing as she splashed in the water. "You should have seen your-!" She was interrupted by Thor picking her up and dropping her in the stream. The princess narrowed her eyes and closed them, holding her breath for as long as she could.

Thor's laughter silenced as he waited for her to come up. When she didn't, he began to panic and dove under the water, picking her body up and swimming to the surface. He lifted her out of the water and pinched her nose, leaning down to give her mouth to mouth. As he approached her lips, a stream of water was spit into his face.

Andromeda laughed again as he dropped her in the water and wiped his face. Thor narrowed his eyes at her, "That's it, come here!"

The princess giggled as she dived under the water, kicking her legs as fast as she could. She swam towards the waterfall, knowing that there was a cave hidden behind it. She dove under the waterfall and swam into the cave, breaking the surface to take a deep breath. The beauty snickered at how clever she was and lifted herself up out of the water, sitting on the rocky edge. She bit her lip and looked up at the cave wall, marveling at the different jewels that were embedded in the stone. The moonlight bounced from the water to the stone, making the whole cave a flurry of color.

Andromeda jumped as hands clamped around her ankles, soon after Thor appeared before her, chuckling at her reaction. "I found you." He sung, holding onto her legs. He grinned against her knee, "I should get a prize."

"What do you want, honorable son of Odin?" Andromeda questioned, slightly shivering from being out of the water.

"Just a kiss, beautiful daughter of Cassiopeia." Thor grinned cheekily, "A real one." The princess cupped his cheeks and leaned down, pecking his lips before pulling back. A peculiar feeling of butterflies filled her stomach and she leaned down once more, kissing him again.

Thor sighed through his nose and his hands travelled downward, going under her soaked nightgown to touch her bareskin. Andromeda pulled away from the kiss and bit her lip, moaning when the prince continued to nibble at her neck. "Will you allow me to touch you again?" Thor muttered against her skin, pulling back to look her in the eyes.

Andromeda nodded, breathing heavily as she whispered, "Yes." One word was all it took and Thor was lifting himself out of the water. He sat down at the edge of the cave and pulled Andromeda into his lap, joining their mouths once again. As the two mouthed at each other, Thor's hands went under her nightgown. "Take it off." The princess demanded, lifting her arms and allowing him to remove it from her body.

Thor immediately cupped her breasts, groaning at how soft they were. Her nipples pebbled just from his touch and she bit her lip as his pelvis ground into hers. The golden prince looked up at her as he stuck his tongue out roughly lapping at a bud before taking it in his mouth. He pulled away, dragging his teeth over it as he did so, then switched sides.

Andromeda grimaced and moaned even louder, burying a hand in her lover's blond hair. Thor soothed her nipple with a slowly lick, before pressing his lips to hers. He slid a hand between their bodies and rubbed quick circles on her bare clit. "Thor!" She gasped against him, her nails digging into his shoulder.

"You are so wet for me, princess." He muttered on her lips, pecking them. "I wonder if you taste the same…"

"Later," Andromeda begged, pulling away from him and looking into his eyes, "Please just take me now."

Arousal shot up Thor's spine and he grunted at her request, slightly lifting her up as he tugged at his trousers, sliding them down his legs and throwing them behind him. He leaned up to press his lips against hers once more and slowly sunk her down onto his prick. He felt her breath hitch and he used his other hand to rub her back soothingly. When she was filled to the hilt he held her there, whispering comforting words to her.

Andromeda sighed and held onto Thor's shoulders biting her lip as he began to move her. She felt shivers all through her body and clung to him as tightly as she could, pressing her lips against face. Her toes curled at the sensation of being filled, though it did sting just a bit.

"Are you alright?" Thor questioned, looking up at the princess. She looked beautiful from her place above him and she nodded, her lashes fluttering when he shifted. He kissed her chin and began to lean backwards, tugging her down with him. They were now flush against each other and Thor's large hands groped at her ass before settling there.

"Place your legs on either side of me." Thor ordered and Andromeda obeyed, lifting herself to her knees. Her lover placed a hand on her back to pushed her down against him again, pressing his lips to her forehead as he began thrusting up into her.

Andromeda let out a breathless moan as her soft body was moved against Thor's hard one. With every thrust she was pushed further over the edge and she felt like she was in heaven. She looked up at Thor from her place on his chest to see he was already watching her. "I love you." She whispered, gasping when he pushed into her deeply.

"I love you." Thor muttered back, pressing his lips against hers. Andromeda moaned as the prince slid his tongue into her mouth, his grip on her body growing tighter. Her toes began to curl as her body tensed, her breath growing heavy with every stroke.

"Thor…" The princess started but he just nodded to her, his bright eyes intense.

"With me." He pressed their lips together again and slowly pulled out of her before pushing in deeply. Andromeda nearly cried as she tried to hold her orgasm off, her hands in fists beside Thor's body.

"I cannot…" The beauty trailed, a tear squeezing out of her eye, "Thor I can't…"

"Andromeda let go." Thor ordered in her ear through clenched teeth and she obeyed immediately, crying out as he worked her through her climax, pushing his pelvis up so that it would brush against her clit. The princess all but sobbed into his shoulder, whispering his name over and over again.

Thor grunted as he felt his own climax building, taking a whiff of her hair. He clamped his eyes shut and tried to control his strength as he bucked into her, wanting nothing more than to feel her. Her cunt clung to him it was made for him, like it was his, and technically it was.

Andromeda was his.

The very thought was enough to make him grunt into her hair as he came inside of her. He turned her face towards his and kissed her as his climax ran through him, almost whimpering from how soft she felt. The aftershocks of his orgasm racked through his body and he breathed heavily from his nose, trying to calm down. When he opened his eyes, all he saw were pretty brown ones staring at him. "I love you." He whispered sincerely, unwrapping his arms around her to rub her back. "I have loved you for centuries, every time you looked away my gaze would linger, hoping some day you would stare back at me as you do now."

Andromeda softly smiled and placed a hand on the prince's cheek, "I will not look away again." She vowed, pecking his lips, "For I love you, too."


	32. Trust

_The dark veil of mourning covered the beautiful face of Aethiopia's last royal. Her body was covered in a long black gown that pooled at her feet and tears adorned her face. She stood next to the Queen of Asgard, the women quietly comforted by the other's presence._

 _The ceremony was scarce in attendance but it did not matter to Andromeda, for Loki might have fallen but he was still a prince. It was her first time seeing a proper Asgardian death ceremony and it was beautiful, albeit solemn. Usually, they would send a body out to sea in a decorated boat, but since they had no body, it was just an empty vessel._

 _Odin raised his bow and arrow and shot it in the air, the arrow ablaze. It landed on the boat and set fire to it. Andromeda watched with empty eyes as the boat went over the falls. She stood there for a moment more before turning around and walking away from the ceremony._

Green surrounded a beautiful princess as she sat in the middle of a clearing. It was midday and the Asgardian sun was bright, the image reflecting off the clear water of the waterfall, and all was calm in the small part of the kingdom.

Princess Andromeda was seated in the grass, her pretty white dress slightly stained, and she held a seed in her hands. Her brows were furrowed and she bit her lip in concentration as she focused all her energy on the small piece of nature.

The princess' brown eyes narrowed and after a long moment, the seed began to tremble.

"Princess!" The royal was startled out of her trance, dropping the seedling as children came running into the clearing. She stood up from the ground and smoothed down her dress, smiling as they approached her. "Hello children." She greeted formally with a bow of her head. "It is not time for a story is it?"

The group of babes shook their heads, instead presenting a band of white flowers, "We made you a crown!" Andromeda lightly touched her chest and smiled, touched by the gesture. "You have been sad for a long time so we wanted to cheer you up!"

"Oh," The princess tried to find words but she couldn't, so she bowed her head and allowed the boy to place the flower crown over her golden one. "You all are so sweet." She smiled prettily, careesing the cheeks of the children she could reach. "So kind, each and every one of you. Why don't you sit with me?"

The children cheered excitedly and did as they were told, some gathering around the princess, some running around the clearing.

Some time later, as Andromeda was getting more flowers braided into her hair, another royal appeared at the mouth of the clearing. Before the princess saw him, the children reacted, running to the prince who was carrying a satchel in his hands.

"Hello children!" Andromeda watched Thor greet them with a large smile. They were always excited to see him and it was always a spectacle when the two of them were seen together.

Rising from her place on a stump, she wiped her dress as the blue eyes landed on her figure. The chatter ceased and the crowd of little ones parted as she stepped toward the prince.

"Greetings, princess." Thor greeted formally, a large smile on his face as she held hers back. "How do you dwell on this day?"

"I am wonderful, kind prince." Andromeda replied, just as formal, "I hope you are the same?"

"My mood has significantly brightened now that I am in your presence." The prince winked and Andromeda bit back her smile as the children cooed garishly.

"Alright, alright." The beauty chimed, waving the children away, "Go play!" The babes laughed and ran from the couple, squealing as they began to play once more. Andromeda smiled tightly as she stood next to the son of Odin. "Must you excite them further?" The princess muttered, looking at the children, "There are already rumors of our engagement."

"Maybe the fault lies with you," Thor spoke through his smile, an arm falling heavy on her shoulders, "You are staring at me far too often." He pulled her in and nuzzled into her hair.

"Hush." Andromeda snapped with half a heart, not pushing him away. "No one is to know we are together, remember?"

The prince hummed with a snicker and a smirk, "And yet they all do..."

The princess shrugged his arm off of her, turning to him with a scoff, "Because of your big mouth!"

"I thought you liked my big mouth." Thor retorted suggestively, biting his thumb.

Andromeda's face flushed and she hit his arm, turning to once again look at the children. "Can I assist you in someway?" The princess questioned, "Or are you here just to be a nuisance?"

"Nuisance?" Thor mimicked her voice, reaching over and pinching her waist. He grinned when she jumped, "I would think you would like to see the heroic victor of Asgard."

The princess smiled as he inched behind her and fingered her braid. "The battle went well then?"

The blonde hummed in affirmation, moving her braid over her shoulder and running a slow finger down her bare back. "How have you been, Andromeda?" The beauty swallowed and avoided the question, instead smiling reassuringly at the children as they played. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, the prince stepped around her. "Alright children! The princess and I have to go back to the palace!"

There were some groans and cries but the prince was able to handle them, promising to return with her tomorrow. After a few kisses and hugs, Andromeda stepped into Thor's arms and he took off into the sky.

The two were silent on the walk to Thor's chambers. As soon as they were inside, Andromeda began to unravel her hair from its braid, placing the flowers onto the vanity. As she lifted the crown from her head, she caught blue eyes staring at her in the mirror and calloused palms brushed across her shoulders.

"I'm sorry." The words were muttered above her and she furrowed her brows.

"It is not your fault that I am uncontrollably sad. Besides," The princess untangled the final flower from her hair, "You are a son of Odin and that comes with numerous responsibilities-!"

"But you are my priority." Thor interjected, lowering himself to his knees, "I would give it all up if that would make you-!"

It was Andromeda's turn to interrupt, "I would never ask you to do that." She assured, turning around on the stool. She cupped his cheeks in her hands and pressed her forehead against his.

Thor gazed into her soft sapling eyes for a long moment before he pulled away, "I got you a souvenir." He chimed, digging in his satchel. He pulled out a short chain with a blue pendant, wrapping it around her wrist and tying it in a bow. He pressed his lips against her wrist and glanced up at her. "Do you like it?" The prince asked bashfully, almost making her laugh.

"It's beautiful." The princess smiled, admiring the gem, "It's the same color blue as your eyes. Thank you." She leaned down and pecked his cheek, finally letting out a giggle at how pink the prince was turning. As her laugh danced across his skin, she pressed her lips against his, the two exhaling together in relief.

Andromeda pulled away and smiled softly, brushing her thumb against his cheek. "You are too good to me, sweet prince."

Thor returned her smile with a grin of his own but said nothing, only resting his hand on top of hers. The princess could see the worry in her lover's eyes and her smile faltered. She patted his cheek and turned around to face the mirror, finishing the act of freeing her hair from its braid.

A gasp escaped from her lips as she was lifted from the bench, only to be placed in the prince's lap.

"Brute." She teased with a smirk. Thor simply hummed and brushed his beard against her neck, making her giggle.

"I missed you." The prince grinned at her in the mirror, his arms tightening around her. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. "I do not want to be away from you for one second."

Andromeda cooed his name as she picked a flower that hid in her hair. He was like a child being reunited with his mother, he didn't want to let her go. She grabbed her golden comb from the vanity and began to take care of the tangles. She hummed an old nursery rhyme Cosima used to sing to her and Thor joined in her song, making her smile.

"How do you-!"

"You sing it in the mornings." Thor explained before singing raspily, "Come in close now it's time to tell a story."

"Long ago and so many years before we ever were, ever dreamed we even could be. There was her and her very first heartbeat." Andromeda finished, beaming at the prince. "I love you." He winked at her and stood up suddenly, sweeping her off her feet.

"There is two hours before dinner will be served." Thor informed her, his tone innocent but his eyes sparkling.

"Where is it written that we have to go to dinner?" Andromeda retorted with wide eyes before her expression melted into a beautiful smile. He beamed at her and nearly threw her on the bed, tugging at his armor.

Andromeda landed with a squeak and a bounce. As soon as she found her bearings he was leaning over her to meet their lips. It was a frantic motion and the princess pulled away, placing a finger to his mouth. "Thor," She murmured his name in a song, "Do not rush." Her beautiful amber eyes batted up at him as he nodded silently. She removed her finger from his lips and replaced it with her own, pecking the corners of his mouth before swooping in.

Thor groaned against her lips and as she rested her hands on his tense shoulders; she knew he was struggling not to grab her. "Please?" He rasped against her and she nodded, gasping as he buried a hand in her hair. He kissed her again but it was harder and his other hand gripped her thigh.

As softly as he could manage, he trailed his kisses to her cheek, her chin, and lastly her neck. He paused at her favorite spot and suckled, hearing her whimper.

"Help me out of this dress." Andromeda breathed, her mouth dropping when he shook his head. Instead, lowered himself to her clothed breasts and kneaded them in his large hands, his thumbs tracing over her nipples. Licking his lips, he covered one of her nipples and flicked his tongue against it, making the bronze beauty keen. He smiled against the cloth and repeated the motion on the other side.

"Do not rip this dress." Andromeda warned as he held himself up to kiss her lips again. The sound of fabric tearing made her scowl. "You-!"

"I am sorry." Thor muttered, not meaning a word of it as he slid the fabric from her body. The princess huffed and shook her head at him, though her legs spread to welcome him in. He chuckled at her anger and brushed his knuckles against her cheek, the beauty closing her eyes at the act of intimacy.

"You aren't forgiven." Was murmured from her lips and her eyes opened in a molten gaze that left him paralyzed for a moment. Andromeda narrowed her eyes and pouted teasingly, her dainty hands tugging Thor close to her by his armor. "That was the tenth dressed ruined by your hand, son of Odin." Her legs crossed and she pulled him into her even more, her hand coming to rest on his cheek. "I was rather fond of that one."

"I…" Thor rasped above her, his throat dry, "I'm sorry."

Andromeda smiled tauntingly, pecking his lips. "Make it up to me." She sung lowly, honey dripping from every word.

In an instant a grin was on the prince's face and he was yanking off his armor, Andromeda giggling as he tripped over his boots to get to her. Shrugging off her tattered dress, she scooted herself back until she was against the headboard. In an instant, Thor joined her.

With one quick thrust, they were one. Andromeda breath came out in quick puffs and she held Thor closely to her. Blue eyes watched every flicker on her face fondly and a smile was shared between the two. The longing between the two made the act all the more sweet and with every touch was a twinge of electricity.

With a strike of distant lightning and a high pitched cry, it was over. The first round of it, anyway.

Andromeda rested her cheek on Thor's chest as he drew lazy circles on her back. A sheen of sweat covered the lovers and a peaceful silence had fallen over the room. The princess closed her eyes for just a moment, taking a mental note in her mind of the feeling of his warmth.

"I want to marry you."

Andromeda smiled silently, pressing her lips against his skin. "You say that every time you bed me."

"Aye," Thor nodded, a rumbling chuckle emitting from him, "But I mean it."

"I have no doubt that you are genuine in your words." The princess whispered, "That is what frightens me." The hand on her back stilled for a moment and her eyes popped open to look up at her lover.

"Marrying me frightens you?" He muttered with a deep frown.

"No my love," Andromeda murmured, sitting up, "That is not what I meant." She assured him, brushing a soft hand against his cheek, "You have nothing to do with my fear."

Thor pushed upper body up, now resting against the majestic golden headboard, "Marriage frightens you…"

The princess averted her eyes for a moment before fingers tugged at her chin. She looked back to her prince stubbornly, pouting when he began to smile. "It seems everyday I discover a new layer, Andromeda." The beauty simply bit his fingers in response; not too keen on being laughed at. It caused Thor to just snicker more, the oaf leaning forward and connecting their lips.

"I have a complicated history of marriage if you recall." Andromeda said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I was to be married to my uncle, then when I actually do get married everyone dies. Then of course Loki-!"

"You would not have to worry about any of that with me, Andromeda." Thor assured the beauty, pressing his lips against her forehead. "I would keep you safe."

"I am sure you think you could." As soon as the word left her mouth she regretted them. She closed her eyes as she felt him move away from her. "I did not…" She tried, "I was not trying to…" A warm palm cupped her cheek and she covered it with her own.

"Look at me, Andromeda." The princess did what was asked of her and instantly felt terrible. "Do you love me?" Thor questioned in a rasp, his thumb stroking her skin.

"Of course." Andromeda breathed, pressing her lips against his hand.

"Do you trust me?" Thor then asked lowly.

The royal nodded, her brows furrowing, "More than anything in the worlds."

"Would our many children be adorable?"

A smile ticked on her face at the thought, "Yes."

Thor returned her grin before bringing his face closer to hers, "Then marry me."

Andromeda pursed her lips and pressed her forehead against his, sighing lowly. "I want to…" She breathed, closing her eyes, "I want to desperately say yes and feel all the joy and happiness that comes with marriage but I cannot. Not yet." At the end of her admission, she opened her eyes to look into his. "It's too soon."

"It has been a year." Thor muttered and Andromeda removed herself from him, shaking her head.

"You don't understand." The princess accused softly before averting her eyes, "You can't understand."

"I love you." The prince bellowed desperately, reaching for her hand. "And you love me. That is all that matters."

"It is more than that." Andromeda choked out, licking her lips, "It is always more than that. Thor I've loved him for-!"

Thor grimaced and nodded his head, "And now the true reason presents itself." The princess kept her head turned away. "You think he's alive."

"Do not twist my words." The beauty whispered, swallowing hardly, "I simply mean that I should be allowed to mourn. We were not married but he was mine for centuries-!"

"He was not faithful to you!" The prince exclaimed, his voice echoing through the bedroom, "Not as I have been and will continue to be! Why are you fixating on a promise that was never true when he was alive and may never be?"

Andromeda's lips parted and her eyes became glossy. It took a year but she was glad that she finally knew how he felt. Saying nothing in return, she raised herself from the bed. She grabbed his robe from the post and wrapped it around herself, storming out of the room in a river of red satin. She needed to be alone, so she went to her special place in the palace; the garden.

After Loki's death, she had scrapped the courtyard and had her own flowers planted. She watered them herself every day and she was rewarded with beautiful color and a place to hide.

Andromeda closed the double doors behind herself and leaned against them, looking up at the night sky. "Mother…" She called to the stars, before huffing, "Don't look at me that way; I could not say yes yet."

The princess rolled her eyes and walked into her garden, her barefeet against the soil. It seemed as if the flowers strained to reach her fingertips and she dragged them along the plants.

Andromeda looked down to see a mutated daisy brushing against her palm like an animal. Tilting her head, she bent down and examined the flower with furrowed brows.

It was a secret she had been keeping for a month, not uttering it to a soul; Andromeda had developed the power to manipulate plants. At first, it was little things like the plants would caress her or greet her when she walked past. Then it slowly turned into her healing starving plants, and just this afternoon she had finally been able to crack a seed.

She did not know where it came from, but she had a suspicion. It wasn't worth worrying anyone until she knew for sure, until then it would be her little secret.

Andromeda had always been a child of nature. Even when she was younger she felt the plants drawing her to them. Hiding in the high sunflower stalks, she would look up and wander if she would ever grow to be as beautiful.

The princess laid back on the grass and closed her eyes, the moonlight dancing on her skin. Flowers brushed their petals against her cheeks and she sighed lowly, trying to calm her mind enough to sleep.

As she began to drift off, a drop of rain hit her nose, then her lips, and finally her cheeks before a full out shower rained down on her. She opened her eyes and glared at the clouds in the once clear sky.

It was the con of having a elemental god as a lover.

With another sigh, she began to lift herself up, feeling the call of her plants. "I must go." She whispered to them calmingly, standing fully. She was drenched from head to toe and all she really wanted was a hot bath.

Andromeda made her way back to her quarters, her feet dragging along the way. She opened the door and let it slam close behind her, unwittingly alerting the prince of her arrival. Padding all the way to the bathroom, her frown deepened when she found her lover in a steaming hot bath with a smile on his face.

"You're back." Thor greeted and she wanted to slap him. It was all part of a grand scheme that she couldn't say no to. They would get into a disagreement, she would wander off, he would cause a freezing shower, then lure her into a tub. So predictable, yet it was still sweet.

"You made it rain." The princess accused, dropping her wet robe. "Scoot over." He does not and she sits in his lap like she always does. A moment later, her hair is being washed for her and her pout has melted into a mouth open in ecstasy.

"You do not have to marry me." Thor rasped behind her, his meaty fingers scratching her scalp just how she likes it.

"Oh be quiet." Andromeda snapped softly, patting his thick thigh, "You know I will-!"

"Eventually." The prince finished for her, gently rinsing the suds from her curls.

The beauty hummed and turned around, straddling his lap. She searched his eyes, the blue being so crystal clear it took her breath away every time, and smiled softly. "You are so good," She breathed on his lips, "And loyal, and wonderful, and sweet, and I do not deserve you."

"It is I who do not deserve you, Andromeda." Thor retorted, caressing her back. "I just never want to be without you. Is that too much to ask?" His smile was small and his cheeks were pink.

Andromeda shook her head, "No." She muttered, "It is not because I want the same. I just…"

Thor smiled tightly at her, "I know."

"Do you trust me?" She whispered, searching his eyes. "Truly?"

The prince echoed her early words, "More than anything in the worlds."

"Then prove it." Andromeda breathed, silent desperation dripping from her words. Keeping his eye for a moment more, she got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself. Without looking back, she sauntered out of the bathroom, sadness and guilt running through her.


	33. Help

A midgardian sun beamed down onto royal skin. A forgotten land was replicated in the deepest of dreams and as bare feet walked along the soft grass, it felt all too real.

In a draping gown of white and gold, Andromeda slowly made her way through the plains of her childhood. She was so warm, yet her face remained blank. Even in her dreams, she couldn't help but be melancholy.

"Come in close, now it's time to tell a story." A voice floated with the breeze, making her halt.

Turning on her heel, she went in the direction the breeze, her long hair floating behind her.

"Long ago, and so many years before we…" Andromeda pushed the long stalks of the sunflowers out of her way and walked through the maze like field, remembering the trail from when she was a child.

"Ever were, ever dreamed we even could be…"

"Mother?" The princess finally allowed herself to breathe as she made it to the other side and the sun disappeared from her sight. She was in her old home, the marble floors cold against her feet. She glanced behind her and saw a stone wall.

"There was her and her very first heartbeat…"

The soft voice carried once more, though the breeze was gone. It now bounced off the walls, echoing through the empty halls. Andromeda returned to her journey to find the singer, the short trail eventually leading to her bedroom, where the door was cracked.

The bronze beauty paused for a moment, leaning into the crack of the door and hearing her mother's hushed voice. She raised a hand to open the door, but the sound of a baby cooing stopped her. Getting her nerve back, she slowly pushed the door open and peeked inside her room, her face spreading in a watery smile at the scene before her.

It was her mother, her face not yet marked with age, and she was holding a baby wrapped in golden blankets. She was seated in an old rocking chair made of wicker, handmaidens busy at work around her.

"Little Andromeda," Her mother cooed, nuzzling her nose against the baby's, "Ruler of Men. I am so blessed that the Gods sent you to me." Her mother's smile was bright and in the next moment, those dark eyes were on her.

"You, girl!" She called and Andromeda froze, "Do you want to see the baby?"

"Yes, your highness." A tiny voice chirped behind her and when she turned around, a ten year old Cosima ran past her. The albino child bowed to the queen before peeking at the infant.

"She's beautiful."

"I know." Andromeda's mother beamed, the baby giggling. "I have prayed every day for a daughter but never could I have imagined that she would be so…" The words faded out and Andromeda was snapped out of her trance. She looked around the room with furrowed brows; everyone was still talking, yet she heard nothing.

In a moment, the picture perfect moment began to melt away and she was left with an empty room and a cold feeling. Chills ran up her back and she wrapped her arms around her body, to try to recover some of the warmth. She made her way to her empty bed, sitting on the comforter. From a distance, something gleamed and she glanced at herself in the mirror to see a green pendant hanging from her neck.

Andromeda's hand shot up to clutched the necklace but when she looked down at herself, nothing was there. Her heart dropped into her stomach and one name ran through her mind.

With a sharp inhale and a heaving chest, Andromeda shot up from the bed, her eyes frantic as she looked around the room. It was still dark, yet streams of light fought its way through the thick curtains. The absence of warmth told her she was alone.

Getting up from the bed, Andromeda padded to the curtains and opened them, sunlight flooding into the room. Pursing her lips, she turned around and headed into the bathroom, glancing up at her reflection in the mirror.

It was still her. Her eyes were still brown and her skin was still dark. Her curls were still to the start of her back and her face was still a mirror of her mother's. Nothing had changed and yet everything had.

Splashing water onto her face, she patted her skin dry with a towel. Padding back into the bedroom, she opened the dresser and picked out a dress for the day, choosing something very loose that she could move in. She had the dress made ages ago, wanting more pieces that reminded her of home, and it was white with gold spun into the fabric. She slipped on her lightweight slippers and sat at her vanity.

Andromeda braided her hair into two plaits, then pinned them around her head in a halo. Grabbing the crown made for her by the children, she placed it over her hair, then covered that crown with her golden one. She dusted gold powder onto her cheeks and applied gel to her lips, staring at her neck for a moment before tying the bracelet Thor had given her to her wrist. She pressed her lips against it and stood, grabbing a cloak as she left the chambers.

Andromeda heard her footsteps echo as she trotted down the hallway, her cloak flowing behind her like a cape. She nodded at the people who passed her politely, though her mind was on her desired destination.

The princess reached the stables in no time and as she approached the doors, she picked a fruit from a basket. Bright green eyes found hers and she gave a tight smile, offering up the fruit to the steed. She stroked her son as he finished the fruit then pressed her forehead to his.

"I missed you, too." The beauty whispered, leaning back with a smile, "Are you up for a ride?" The beast's eyes lit up and he neighed, shaking his head up and down. Andromeda smiled and took a step back as the stable hands rushed to free him.

In another ten minutes, she was off, her cloak covering her head. By midday, she was crossing the rainbow bridge and a little after that, she was at the observatory. Patting Slepnir's head, she climbed the steps, taking her hood off as she faced Heimdall's back.

"Princess Andromeda." Heimdall greeted, not turning to her.

"Heimdall." The princess greeted back, toeing around the large space. "My friend. You see and hear everything." She muttered before biting her lip, "You know why I am here. Tell me, and please do not mince words; did you feel him, too?"

It was silent for a moment and Andromeda closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath. "Heimdall, please."

"I cannot see him."

The princess trotted up the platform, making the guardian face her. She looked into his golden eyes and swallowed, "He's in my dreams." She spoke the admission aloud for the first time, "B-b-but he's just beyond my reach."

"I have seen what you have you seen." Heimdall admitted with a short nod, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I am sure it is nothing."

"Do not lie to me." Andromeda begged, her lips pursing, "I know you feel it, too. If he's alive, something isn't right." She desperately tried to explain, her fingers tugging at her bracelet. "It was like he was trying to contact me but he couldn't. He wasn't strong enough."

"Princess Andromeda you cannot keep harping on this. You have other things to worry about." The guardian warned cryptically, making her step away.

"What does that mean?" Andromeda questioned with a frown. Her guide turning away from her was the only answer. "You see all," The beauty repeated, turning around and raising her hood, "You know all, but what do you really know?" She sneered, floating out of the observatory.

"You will see."

Andromeda paused but did not look back, instead raising her fingers to her lips in a whistle. Sleipnir galloped toward her and she jumped on, urging him to take her home.

As soon as they reached the palace doors, she dismounted the steed, telling the stable hands to take him home. She kissed her son's head and watched the hands lead him away with a reassuring smile.

When she couldn't see them anymore, her grin dropped and she turned on her heel, walking into the forest. She let her feet guide her to her special place, her mind racing. Before she knew it she was at the spring.

Sliding her slippers off of her feet, she fell to her knees and stared at the water. The grass under her welcomed her touch and caressed the bare skin of her feet. She lost track of how long she sat there but the sound of the stream was relaxing.

The sound of rustling alerted her to someone in the brush. Raising herself from her knees, she glanced behind her, "Show yourself."

A very young man dressed in the palace guard uniform stepped from behind a tree, his hands up in surrender. Andromeda furrowed her brows as she got a look at the man's blue eyes. They were familiar in a way.

"Boy," The princess chimed, slowly stepping towards the guard, "What is your name?"

The man looked down and bowed his head, placing a fist over his heart, "I did not mean to scare you, your highness."

"It takes more than that to scare me. Now," Andromeda lightly touched his chin and brought his face up to examine him. The guard's cheeks promptly turned red. Recognition rang through her mind and she smiled. To confirm her suspicion, she removed his helmet, a bright grin on her pretty face.

"Little boy," Andromeda beamed, "I do believe I know you."

The man turned ever more red and sputtered, "M-m-my n-name is-!"

"Oh I know who you are, little Asger." The beauty laughed, pinching his cheek. "Gods, have you grown! Almost as tall as Thor and just as handsome as can be!" Andromeda cooed like a mother, setting his helmet down to cup his cheeks. "And to be a guard at the palace, as well! I am so proud."

"T-t-thank you, your highness." Asger tried to bow his head, but the grip on his cheeks kept him upright. "I-I was j-j-just making sure you were alright."

Andromeda smile faltered a tad but it soon returned, "How is your sister? Alva, was it? I still have the original crown the two of you made me. Now all these children do is make me crowns and braid my hair!"

Asger nodded a bashful grin slowly growing on his face, "She is well. She works in the kitchens now."

"Oh I have to make sure to visit her!" The beauty chimed, searching his face. "Gods, it seems like just yesterday you were a child who could not even look me in the eyes."

"I…" The guard started before bending down to pick up his helmet, "Pardon my candor, your highness… But you made me nervous… I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen."

Andromeda looked down bashfully and shook her head. She met his eye again and slipped off her hood, "Thank you." She muttered, before getting an idea. "What is your post at the palace?"

"I guard the perimeter." Asger replied shyly, "It's the lowest post, but I am not complaining, your highness."

"Of course not." Andromeda shook her head with a knowing smile, "I will get you a better position. Who is your kin?"

"Oh," Asger shook his head frantically, "N-n-no, your highness, I could not-!" The beauty raised her hand to silence the guard, her mind made up. The man blonde sighed, his rounded cheeks puffing, "Gunne, your highness."

"Son of Gunne." Andromeda chimed nodding her head, "It shall be and," She turned around going to pick up her slippers from the spring's side, "I will make Alva my handmaiden, she is too pretty to be working in the kitchens."

Asger tripped over his words trying to thank her and she just shook her head, raising her hood once again. "Oh hush, put your helmet on and escort me back to the palace." Hooking her arm through his, Andromeda began to ask him about his life, needing the distraction.

By the time they reached the palace, Andromeda had learned that Asger and Alva were the equivalent to adolescents on Earth. Their parents had died a little after she left and Asger had to fend for the both of them. When they became of age, they got jobs at the palace because it gave them food and shelter.

"Now don't you worry, Asger, I will have the two of you straightened out in no time." Andromeda patted his bicep and winked, trotting down the hallway to do her chores. She lowered the hood from her head and made her way to her garden.

The princess walked into the courtyard and breath deeply, smiling at her plants. "Hello children." She chimed, going into the small greenhouse to get her watering can. Taking off her cloak and placing it on the stone bench, she began to feed her babies.

As she was watering her hybrid roses, meaty arms creeped around her waist and lips pressed into the crook of her neck. She couldn't help the smile that spread over her lips but she tried. "Thor I am busy." The beauty snapped with a giggle, worming her way out of his arms to water a different section of her garden. "Go bother someone else."

The prince frowned playfully and grabbed at her dress, tugging her backwards. "Princess," He whined like a child, "Andy…"

"Oh do not call me that." Andromeda laughed, turning around to face him, "How can I help you?"

Thor grinned widely and rocked on his feet, his eyes teasingly bashful. "I just wanted to see you."

"I bet." The princess chimed, tapping her nails against the watering can. She stared him down for a moment before he surrendered, leaning down to press his lips against hers. She giggled against his lips and returned to her plants. "What did you do today, noble son of Odin?"

"Boring meetings." Thor grumbled, slumping down on the bench, "Father thinks I need to learn more of our history."

"A good king must know the kingdom's history, or he will be doomed to repeat it." Andromeda chatted, finishing up and putting the can away. She padded up to her lover and sat in his lap, pressing a kiss against his temple.

"What did you do today?" The prince questioned, rubbing her thigh.

"It was the funniest thing," The beauty giggled, "I was at the spring and I heard a noise. I turned around and it was the little boy from centuries ago. You know the one at the stables? Him and his sister work at the palace now-!"

"You want to help them out." Thor interjected, finishing her thought before she could.

Andromeda smiled brightly and nodded, "They are kin to Gunne. Asger Gunneson and Alva Gunnedottir. He works the perimeter and she works in the kitchen. I want Alva to be my new handmaiden and as the general of the warriors I am sure you can find a better place for him." She batted her lashes prettily, twirling blonde around her finger.

"As you wish." The prince grinned, nuzzling his nose against hers. "Whatever you wish." He muttered above her, pecking her lips.

A batch of hybrid roses bloomed behind her as she returned the kiss. She leaned back slightly and bit her lip to stop her beam. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Thor's smile was tight as he pinched her cheek. "Andy." He finished in a song.

"Do not-!" Her protest was stopped by another kiss, her breathing being stolen from her. "I tell you one story and you can't shut up about it." Andromeda whined and Thor snickered, pressing apologetic kisses against her cheeks, nose, lids, and chin.

"I like your dress." He murmured against her lips as he fingered the fabric.

"Rip it and I'll rip you." Andromeda replied sweetly, brushing her fingers over his scratchy face. "You already owe me ten dresses."

"Oh I owe you much more than that." Thor teased, reaching under her skirt to rub at her bare legs. "The leaves on the trees," He started, slowly trailing his fingers up, "The stars in the sky," He continued to murmur, separating her legs slightly as his eyes stayed on hers, "The moon," Andromeda's breath hitched as he stroked the place she wanted him most, "The sun," Thor nuzzled his nose against hers, "And everything in between."

Andromeda cupped his cheek and pressed her lips to his, gasping when he suddenly stood with her in his arms. She laughed as he held her up with one arm, the other fiddling with his cape, lying it down on the grass. He then laid it her on top of it.

"Well this is a first." Andromeda snickered as Thor fiddled with the skirt of her dress. He pressed a kiss to her knee and lifted his armored shirt over his head. She spent no time pressing her hands against the taut muscle.

"We have done this outside before." Thor murmured, pressing his lips against hers. He gripped her thick thighs in his hands, kneading them.

Andromeda hummed and lifted herself up, tugging the collar of her dress up. The prince helped her pull it off and placed it beside her, taking facetious care that made her roll her eyes. "Not in my garden."

Thor pressed his lips against her chin and shrugged, tugging his pants down his legs. He fingered her slit and hummed, nuzzling into her neck as he pushed into her.

"We cannot keep going at it like rabbits," Andromeda chimed breathlessly, clutching him in her arms, "Children are sure to arise."

"Children are good," Thor grumbled into her neck, "We can have children."

"No-!" The princess was cut off as he reached between them to rub her clit. "No." She repeated weakly, moaning into his neck. She buried a hand into his hair and didn't bother muffling her wanton screams.

"No?" Thor echoed, snapping his hips to hers.

"Not yet." Andromeda replied, her back arching. " _Oh Gods,_ not yet!" She squealed, not at all talking about children. Her legs were bent even more back and she cried as every thrust hit her in the right spot. "I love you so much."

The prince chuckled above her and pressed his lips to her cheek, echoing the sentiment back to her. With a few more sharp thrusts, Andromeda's eyes were rolling into the back of her head. Her nails scraped against Thor's back and little bursts of electricity made goosebumps appear on her skin.

"You're so beautiful when you cum, Andromeda." Thor beamed down at her, making her cheeks heat up.

The princess just shook her head and tapped his shoulder. Thor took the hint and changed their positions, lying on his back as she now towered over him. "I believe you are prettier when you're buried in me, my prince." She sung as she began to move her hips against his. Thor clamped his hands down on her bottom and groped the fleshy fat, trying his best not to break her bones.

Andromeda bit her lip and raised herself up, dropping down on his prick suddenly. It only took a few moments of this before his cum was dripping out of her. She leaned down and pressed her lips against his, tucking strands of hair behind his ear sweetly.

"I love you Princess Andy." Thor quipped, his smile wide.

"Oh shut up." Andromeda whined, but a smile spread over her face as he kissed her again. "I love you, too."

That night, when she was lying in bed and asleep, she saw a glimmer of green again, though this time it was tinted blue.

As Andromeda twitched in her sleep, loud knocking sounded at the chamber door. She was barely conscious, but she felt the warmth around her leave. Heavy footsteps carried away from her and she peeked an eye open, just catching sight of Thor's back as he left.

The princess furrowed her brows and got up from the bed, wrapping a robe around her bare body and padding out of the bedroom. Hiding behind the wall in the hallway, she listened as a guard spoke to her lover.

"...on Midgard?" Thor muttered, his arms crossed. "Are you absolutely positive?"

"Yes, your majesty. This is coming from Heimdall himself. Loki is alive."

Andromeda slapped a hand over her mouth to keep her gasp inside.

"He has the tesseract."

"Alert father, I will be departing in half an hour." Thor and the guard saluted each to each other and the heavy door shut. As his heavy footsteps headed toward her, he stopped as he spotted her. "Andromeda-!"

"He's alive?" The princess croaked, her sapling eyes brimmed with water, "And on Earth?"

Thor reached for her, "Andromeda-!"

Andromeda pushed his hands away, "Answer me!"

"Yes." The prince muttered, his hands clenching into fists, "He's alive, he has taken some captive and he has the tesseract. I am going to bring him home." He promised, walking around her and into the bedroom.

Andromeda stood there for a moment before whipping around and storming into the room. She watched Thor dress himself in his armor, her heart in her stomach. "Take me with you."

Thor paused and glanced at her over his shoulder, tightening his belt. "Absolutely not."

"Thor, please." Andromeda begged, padding up to him. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her forehead to his back. "I can help."

"No." The prince shrugged her off and went into the bathroom.

"Please!" The beauty begged again, her voice cracking. "Thor I can help, whatever he's done I can make it s-s-stop. He'll listen to me!"

Thor stomped out of the bathroom and loomed over her, making her take a step back. "You cannot help him. You're blinded by the man you once knew but you did not see what I saw."

"All I hear is jealousy." Andromeda retorted, her eyes hard. Thor scoffed and moved around her, shaking his head. "You say I am blind but yet you won't let me help your brother."

"Believe what you will."

"Thor-!"

"Enough!" The royal finally snapped at her, meeting her at the center of the room. "You are not going, in fact, I forbid it. I do not want to hear of this again."

Andromeda shrunk back from his steely blue eyes and looked away, nodding silently. She moved away when he tried to caress her cheek. "Go then." She muttered, a tear falling from her eyes. "I wish you safe travels, son of Odin." Without even looking up at him, Andromeda stormed out of the room, the robe billowing like a cape behind her.


	34. Her Realm

Soft humming echoed through the halls of the prince's shared chambers as a beautiful princess ran a brush through the matted hair of a servant.

That morning when Andromeda woke up from only a few hours of disturbed slumber, she was presented with Alva. It seemed Thor put out word for her before he left. The poor girl was wearing rags and her face was dirty. With the princess being the mother she was, she ran her a bath and gave her one of her gowns. Andromeda had even called for the royal tailor to make her more outfits that would suit her.

It was a welcome distraction for the royal, as she did not have to think about the two princes currently feuding in her home realm.

Alva's hair was soon silky and Andromeda braided it back with dexterous hands, weaving a white ribbon into the blonde locks. "Alright, that should hold you for the day." She smiled, patting the young girl's shoulders. "Now, follow me to the garden."

Alva nodded and smiled back, getting up from the vanity to obey her command. She had grown into such a pretty girl and Andromeda was sure that if her status were higher, she'd have many suitors. Her blonde hair was to the small of her back and her eyes were a bright blue, just like her brother's. In Andromeda's gown, she looked like a proper lady and the princess couldn't help but proudly beam.

Not too far from them, Asger walked behind, as he was now her personal guard. Andromeda took very good care of her children.

Stepping outside, she felt the warmth of the sun and it added to her calm. "I water my plants everyday first thing in the morning." Andromeda chimed, going into the clear greenhouse and handing a watering can to Alva. "You can start with the roses over there, I'll get the daisies." Grabbing her own watering can, she made her way to the otherside of the garden. She glanced at Asger standing at the entrance stoically and smiled, teasing, "You may sit if you like, Sir Asger."

The warrior turned pink and shook his head, remaining at his post. Andromeda hid her smile and made her way around the garden, her plants greeting her as she passed. She looked to the siblings before kneeling down, humming to the buds. The royal was so lost in her garden that she did not hear her name called. She jumped as a hand was placed on her shoulder, she looked up to see Sif.

Andromeda rose slowly and smiled in greeting, "Sif, it is great to see you."

"I came as soon as I heard." The brunette warrior said discreetly, glancing at the siblings behind her.

Andromeda caught on quickly, "Give us a moment." They both nodded and Alva closed the double doors behind them. The friends took a seat on the stone bench and Sif was the first to speak.

"How are you?"

The princess smiled tightly, "Neutral. I think all of my anger was drained last night and now I am just… neutral." She muttered, "Any word from Thor?"

Sif shook her head, "Not as of late. I had not even known he left until he was gone."

Andromeda hummed and nodded, "He would not listen to reason earlier this morning, he had too much fire in his heart and you know how he gets when he sets his mind to something."

"Oh I know all too well." Sif shared a small smile with the royal, before her eyes searched her friend's face once more. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The princess froze for a moment before shaking her head, her gaze slowly falling to her lap. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and she sighed, "Sif… I know he is treacherous but he was my first love. He saved my life many times over and I can't help but-!" She stopped herself and bit her lip, tears lining her eyes, "I guess I'm not as 'neutral' about it as I thought."

Sif wrapped her arms around Andromeda and stroked her back, murmuring words of comfort. Buds around them bowed their heads, some even closing, but they did not pay any attention to that. "It is no secret that I have a certain _distaste_ for Loki, but I understand."

"It's just," Andromeda swallowed, "I know that he's either going to end up dead or he's going to come back here and be placed in exile. I do not know which would be worse; knowing that he is gone or having the knowledge of him always being there but just beyond my reach." Taking a shaky breath, she wiped both of her eyes, looking up at Sif. "I just wish I could help."

Sif smiled tightly, her heart aching for her friend. "Always such the mother, Andromeda." The comment got a smile out of the princess and she continued on, "I am sure Thor will make the right decision when the moment comes, he is hard headed but he has his moments," She paused before smiling, "Like when he chose you."

Andromeda blinked in surprise but nodded silently, laying her head on her friend's shoulder. The two women just sat there in silence for a long while, an occasional sigh shared between them. Sif was there to comfort her best friend, position be damned. Even though they had differences in the past, they were still close as ever, and they would do anything to protect each other. The dark beauty was part of the reason that she would always detest Loki. He made one of the most beautiful souls cry.

Sif glanced over the head of Andromeda as the doors to the garden opened. Her eyes widened and she bowed her head, nudging the princess. Andromeda furrowed her brows and looked up, before she also bowed her head.

"Queen Frigga." The princess greeted, standing up to properly bow. Sif followed her and the queen waved her hand.

"Lady Sif, if you could give us a moment."

The warrior nodded and placed a fist over her heart before leaving the garden and closing the doors. Andromeda rose from her bow and her eyes widened as the queen wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh darling," She sighed, petting her hair, "How are you?"

"I'm alright." Andromeda breathed, pulling away from the embrace to look at her, "Are you alright?"

"My eldest has gone off to face my youngest." The queen recounted with a sad smile, "As a queen I feel very conflicted, as a mother I am heartbroken." Her voice cracked and Andromeda frowned, leading her to the stone bench as she began to weep.

The princess held the queen just as Sif had held her. Through all of her emotion she had forgotten that Frigga was alone. She had the king, sure, but who could truly understand the hurt a mother feels for her children? Andromeda couldn't, not completely, but she knew how it felt to lose your family; she knew that all too well. She patted Frigga on the back, and whispered words of comfort in her ear.

"I am sure it will all be fine." Andromeda muttered, though her heart was advising against it. She pulled away from the queen to look into her eyes, "Thor will bring him back to you… to us." She added with a reassuring smile, the words echoing in her own head.

"I am sure you are right." Queen Frigga sniffled, a watery laugh coming from her lips, "You always have a kind word to say and for that I appreciate you." The woman raised Andromeda's hands up to her lips and pressed a kiss against her knuckles, "Truly, you are like the daughter I never had."

Andromeda smiled prettily, "Thank you, your majesty."

"No, thank you Andromeda." Queen Frigga winked, patting her knee, "Would you like to join me for lunch?"

"Of course." The princess nodded graciously, the two women raising from the bench. Andromeda waited to let Frigga walk ahead of her, but the queen looped her arm through hers, forcing her to ignore the formality.

An hour later they were in the queen's garden with empty plates and refilled chalices. Frigga's fair complexion had a red tint to it, giving away the fact that they had been drinking. Andromeda's dark skin gave no such hint.

"Andromeda I want grandchildren this millenia." The queen complained, giggling in her chair.

"All mother-!"

"Oh hush," Frigga snapped, "You are family, call me my given name."

"Frigga," Andromeda stressed with a laugh of her own, "I would like to be married first."

"Then say 'yes'." The queen blurted before placing a hand over her mouth, "Excuse me."

"Consider it forgotten." The princess sung, though her smile faltered a bit. She hid it with a gulp of her drink. They continued to chat idly, giggling at the little quips they'd make before they were interrupted by Asger.

The young boy fell to one knee and lowered his head. "I am sorry to interrupt, your majesty, but there is a pressing matter."

Andromeda blinked, sharing a look with the queen. "Excuse me, Frigga." She muttered, standing up. She touched Asger on his shoulder and he rose, keeping his head down as he lead her into the hallway. "What's this about?"

"I have been instructed not to tell you." Asger uneasily answered, making a beeline for her chambers.

"By who?" The princess questioned, just as the doors were opened for her. In her common room stood her lover, fresh cuts on his face. Andromeda's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. "Leave us." She heard the door close and she huffed, "That was quick."

"I need your help." Thor rasped at the same time.

The scowl on the princess' pretty face melted away and her arms dropped, "What happened?" She breathed, quickly walking up to him.

"It's bad, Andromeda." Thor muttered, shaking his head, "He… It's really bad." Andromeda's heart dropped and she put a comforting hand on his chest plate. "So many people are dead. He's beyond reason, he won't…" Thor paused, his nostrils flaring, "He won't listen to anyone…"

"But he might listen to me." Andromeda finished his thought, as he buried a hand in her hair and pressed his forehead against hers.

"I didn't want to put you in danger." The blonde rasped, hugging her to him, "I thought I could handle it myself. I'm sorry."

Andromeda nodded, brushing a hand over his cheek and smiling tightly, "When do we have to leave?"

"As soon as possible."

"Okay." The princess breathed, "Okay." She pressed her lips against his and removed herself from him and hurrying to the bedroom. She replaced her dress with a white one with slits up the sides for mobility, then slipped slippers onto her feet and a cloak around her shoulders. Sweeping her curls up into a ponytail, she braided her locs down tying it off with a string. Putting her satchel over her head, she walked back out to see Thor ready for her.

"Let's go."

Following him to the balcony, he tugged her close and swung mjolnir over his head, sending them flying. They landed right outside of the observatory and as they walked up the steps, Andromeda's heart dropped a little. She caught sight of the dark guardian and bowed her head, feeling bad about her words.

Thor ushered her the transportation point and she glanced at Heimdall, smiling tightly as he nodded at her. As the light began to flash around them, Andromeda held on to Thor tightly, her heart rate increasing. The last time she had traveled this way was after her wedding."I've got you." The prince assured, rubbing her arms comfortingly. She closed her eyes tightly and held her breath, her braid whipping around.

Andromeda felt the wind around her slow and the light in front of her eyes dimmed. She felt earth beneath her feet and even so, Thor kept his arms around her. "We're here." He breathed, caressing her back.

Popping an eye open, she was underwhelmed with how… gray everything looked. "Oh my gods… what happened?"

Thor furrowed his brows and looked around before laughing heartily. "Oh Andromeda, this isn't Earth! We're on a helicarrier."

"A what?" Andromeda questioned, eyeing the oddly dressed people around her. "Why is everything so dark?"

"Thor." A voice sounded from their side and Andromeda looked to see a man dressed in black with a patch over his eye. "Is this her?"

"It is." Andromeda answered for herself, turning to the man. "Princess Andromeda of Aethiopia, and you are?"

"Director Nick Fury, Shield." The dark man introduced, glancing at Thor, "Come in and meet the rest of the team, your highness."

"Gladly." Andromeda breathed, looking around uneasily. Thor placed his hand on the small of her back protectively and led her as they followed the director.

"The Earth is a lot different from the one you remember, I'm sure." The director made conversation as they entered a metal fortress.

"I would not know, for this is not the Earth." The princess replied smartly, smiling innocently when he glanced back at her. Thor pinched her side teasingly and she elbowed him back.

The director opened a door for her and motioned for her to enter. She did and four eyes fell on her as the conversation they had died. Andromeda's whole body exuded regality and her eyes danced from person to person, before looking back at Thor.

"Everyone," The prince's voice boomed, "This is Princess Andromeda."

"Andromeda?" The dark-haired men questioned, his tone inherently snarky, "As in the myth of Andromeda?"

Andromeda nodded, not bothering to add in her title of princess, "Of Aethiopia."

"I thought you died." The dark-haired man bluntly stated and she smiled tightly.

"Sorry to disappoint."

"No offense, ma'am," A man with blonde hair addressed her formally, "But how do we know you're on our side?"

"What other side would I be on?" Andromeda retorted, folding her hands in front of her, "Earth is my home, I was born here. I had friends, family, a kingdom here. Why would I want to aid in its destruction?"

"She's right." The only woman in the room besides her nodded, crossing her arms in the corner, "And she might be our only chance at cracking Loki."

"I am here to help." The princess assured, looking to Thor, "In any way I can." Looking back to the group. Her eyes fell on the man with silver and black strands, his uneasiness apparent to her. "You have not spoken yet," She started, with a small smile, "Do you distrust me, too?"

The unnamed man returned her smile with an uneasy one of his own, his eyes flickering to the side, "I think it's worth a shot."

"Great." Andromeda replied sincerely with a pretty smile that lit up the room, he turned away from her bashfully. "What's the plan?"

"Just talk to him." Director Fury answered, crossing his arms, "He won't be expecting you and if we catch him off his game he might tell you his plan."

"And if he does not?"

"He will." Thor assured her, "If I had any doubt I would not have brought you here."

"I'd tell _you_ anything you wanted to know." The snarky man threw in, earning a sharp glare from her.

"And I would tell my guards to execute you and feed the meat to my goats." The princess retorted, as the other woman in the room spoke up.

"I tried to talk with him earlier but I got nothing. Which is...very uncommon for me. He needs someone he has a history with."

"When?" Andromeda asked, a little worry bleeding into her tone.

"Preferably soon." The director replied.

Andromeda nodded with a sigh and removed her cloak, revealing her gown. She undid the string around her braid and unraveled it, her curls flowing down in a high ponytail. Raising her chin again, she turned to the director, "Where is he?"

A few minutes later, she was walking down a metal ramp, the rest of the team observing her in the meeting room. A little bug was placed in her ear and she resisted the urge to take it out, she was told it was for communication. A year, it had been a whole year and she was about to see her first love. She had to be strong, strong like her mother Cassiopeia before her. Raising her chin and lowering her shoulders, she sauntered across the walkway like it was her coronation. The closer she got the more she could make out his figure, standing tall. Her dress flowed behind her and her dark thighs were exposed by the slits, she looked like the second coming, which coincidentally, she could be. She could make out his eyes now and they were narrowed.

Andromeda stopped in front of the glass cell and crossed her hands in front of her, looking up at the rogue prince. It was silent for a moment and the princess noted that his eyes were not the forest green she remembered, instead they were bright blue.

"This is a trick." Loki nodded a tilt to his lips, "You are not real."

"I could say the same for you." Andromeda retorted, allowing a small smile to spread across her lips. Her eyes danced across his clammy skin and his dark bags but all she said was, "Your hair is longer."

"So is yours." Loki fully smiled at her, "I am happy to see you but you are here a bit too early, I'm afraid."

The beauty's breath hitched and she furrowed her brow, "What do you mean?"

"Well I was coming to get you of course," The forgotten man smiled slyly, "After the battle was over."

"What battle?" Andromeda questioned, trying not to sound so desperate, "Loki you have killed people. My people."

"Only humans." Loki dismissed with a wave of his hand, "Their lifespans are short anyway, I only helped them along."

The princess shook her head in disbelief, placing a hand over her stomach, "You are talking about me, you are talking about my family. You speak as if I am not one of those short lived humans."

"You aren't. I made sure of that." Loki assured, placing a hand to the glass, "I'm doing this for you. You lost your kingdom and I shall grant you a new one, a better one. We will rule side by side as it was always intended."

Andromeda shook her head again and a tear fell down her cheek, "Intended by who?"

"By me, by the cosmos." The prince explained with a sick grin, "It is our birthright. Aren't you tired of being a princess only in title? I am offering you a chance to be queen." He hissed before his tone lowered, "My queen."

"These people are not your birthright, Loki. They g-!"

"They are yours." Loki interjected before she could finish and she shook her head.

"They govern themselves," Andromeda continued, "They are different from the time I was here, more advanced, more-!"

"Destructive and dim!" Loki snapped, rolling his eyes, "They need a ruler, they need guidance. I will rule as a benevolent god."

Andromeda scoffed and crossed her arms, "And how is killing them benevolent?"

Loki smiled grimly, "I am putting them out of the misery of living."

"What happened to you?" Andromeda breathed, searching his eye, "Did the fall from the rainbow bridge change you so? You were mischievous before sure, but not like this. Never like this."

"How could you have known what I was to become?" Loki sneered, his eyes narrowing, "You were too busy following after my brother. I would not be surprised if you were overjoyed when I was gone."

"How dare you." The princess' voice boomed, her eyes ablaze, "I mourned," She stressed, "For ages after you disappeared, I was mourning the day the guard came to inform us that you were alive. I have loved you from my infancy until now and you dare to accuse me of rejoicing in your death? Me? Who held you in my arms as you cried? Me? Who begged to mother your child? Me? Who begged you to marry me," Her voice cracked as angry tears welled in her eyes, "When you couldn't even care enough to stop sleeping with the help." She sniffed, her angry resolve melting, "You tried to destroy me, after all I had been through that you knew, you tried to destroy me. And now here you are begging me to be your queen in one breath and insulting me in the next!" Her words echoed around them and she caught her breath, wiping the tear that fell from her cheek. "Loki," She began again lowly, closing her eyes, "Leave these people alone."

The power of her words resonated in the prison and as she stood there with her eyes closed and her skin glowing, she represented peace and maternity for her planet, for her realm.

"It's too late." Came Loki's response, soft and non combative, "I can't stop this."

Andromeda opened her eyes, which had melted from the fiery pits they were before. She placed a dainty hand on the glass and looked up at the prince, the same look she used to give him. "Why?" She whispered.

The prince's inner turmoil showed on his face as he battled himself to answer her. He slowly placed his hand where hers was on the glass and shook his head. His glowing blue eyes dimmed and green took their place for just a moment. "Go home, Andromeda."

"Loki…" The beauty breathed, seeing the vulnerability of the man she used to know, "Whatever it is, we can fix it. I'll help you, you know I will help you."

A sharp pounding on the glass, made Andromeda jump and the glass prison holding him jolted as well, a sharp metal attaching to it. "Go home, Andromeda." Loki again, his eyes fully overtaken by the bright blue. "Go back to Asgard where everyone loves you and your lover is to be king. Go back to reading stories to the children and yearning for your own but knowing you won't have one. Go back to your pathetic attempt at being royalty when you don't even have a kingdom to rule over. And go back to your pathetic attempt at replacing me in your heart." He hissed, each word running over her like acid, "You speak to me as if I'm a monster but do you know whose side your on? They have the real monster."

A static noise sounded in her ear, followed by Director Fury's voice, "We got it, your highness. Fall back."

Andromeda thinned her lips in a tight smile and looked over Loki once more, "I pray to the gods at night for your peace of mind and safety. And even though you are sick now, a part of me will always love you, remember that." She chimed before turning her back, "Goodbye."


End file.
